Trying to figure out syntax? To begin, take a look at this sentence:
It was getting dark out, and the ______ ________ ________ decided she’d better catch a cab back to the hotel.
Now, fill in the blanks in the sentence above with the following words: American, tourist, and frightened.
You’ve inevitably come up with the following combination: the frightened American tourist…but why? American or tourist could be either a noun or an adjective. And why does it just sound right that frightened comes first in this sequence? This is syntax—the laws and patterns that govern a language.
It starts as simply as subject–verb (the girl decided), and as more elements are added to a sentence, its structure becomes more complex, and patterns in language begin to emerge.
Our expert editors and proofreaders are ready and available with affordable and personalized professional services.
Be Advised: How to Use Advice vs. Advise
In terms of words that are frequently confused for each other, the advice vs. advise debate is a good one to discuss. After all, we…
Hyphens and “Year Old” Phrases: When to Use Them
Is There a Hyphen in "Year Old?" Whether you should hyphenate “year old” is one of those little grammatical issues that isn’t really an issue…
Who’s Right? Explaining Whose vs. Who’s
Everyone makes the occasional typo or grammatical slip-up. That’s why we have editors—and Facebook friends who insist on correcting our use of whose vs. who’s…