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 available for you anytime (day or night!) with affordable and personalized professional services.
Metaphors and Similes
There is such power in language—it shapes our ideas and reflects them. It can inspire or infuriate, heal or damage, inform or confuse. And it…
Unnecessary Commas and Common Comma Mistakes
Perhaps because it is one of the most common punctuation marks, the comma is also one of the most commonly misused. Unnecessary commas abound, but…
There vs. Their: Location, Location, Location
There vs. their is one of the most common linguistic bar fights in the English language. The two words are pronounced exactly the same way…