While tone and diction refer to the words that a writer chooses, syntax is the order in which the words are written or spoken. Just as the definition of each word in a sentence conveys meaning, the order of the words also conveys meaning. For example, “Lori picked up the baby” and “The baby picked up Lori” have very different meanings. Examine this quote:
Source: Yoda Statue at Lucasfilm Ltd., Loren Javier, Flickr
Always in motion is the future.
—Yoda, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
The word order of this sentence is inverted. You or I might say, “The future is always in motion.” However, if you read Yoda’s words out loud, you will hear that the inverted sentence gives a sense of motion by beginning the sentence with the word “Always.” Perhaps that word creates an image of years and years or a sense of something going on endlessly, while the typically ordered sentence sounds static in comparison. The order of the words reinforces their meanings.
You may have heard the expression “reading between the lines.” The expression means that readers should look beyond the words printed on the page to discern what the writer really means. This is the essence of making an inference. When a reader makes an inference, the reader calls upon previous knowledge and his or her own ideas to fill in gaps within a text with information or to enhance the understanding of a text. Readers can use an inference to draw a conclusion about the text. Analyzing a writer’s syntax can help you make inferences and draw conclusions about the meaning of a text.
Types of sentences
Source: Blocks, dacotahsgirl, Flickr
If words are the building blocks used to build sentences, then sentences are the building blocks that build a paragraph. When you read informational texts, it is important to keep in mind that writers are trying to make meaning with their word choices and syntax (word order). Take a look at the four different types of sentences below and note how each type of sentence has a different effect on meaning.
- Declarative: The sentence is a statement.
I went to the store.
- Interrogative: The sentence asks a question.
Do you want me to go to the store?
- Imperative: The sentence gives an order or command.
Go to the store.
- Exclamatory: The sentence expresses a strong feeling.
I am going to the store whether you like it or not!
Let’s see if you now recognize the different types of sentences. Read each sentence below and identify it as declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory.
Source: Declare victory, Mazda6, Flickr
- “Who are you?“
—The Caterpillar to Alice, Alice in Wonderland
- “Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.” —George W. Bush, speech about 9/11 terrorist attacks
- “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!” —Dante, Divine Comedy
- “I can’t believe it! Reading and writing actually paid off!”
—Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
- “One may defy human laws, but no one can withstand the laws of nature.” —Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
When you’re analyzing syntax and style, you will probably notice that declarative sentences make up the majority of the sentences you read or hear in a speech.
Source: Frederick Douglass, mosaic.grenelise, Flickr
Rhetorical questions
A rhetorical question is a special type of interrogative. A rhetorical question is a question for which no reply is expected, either because the answer is obvious and the writer is trying to get the reader to see an issue in a different way, or because the writer will provide the answer. Writers use rhetorical questions to expand the conversation between themselves and the reader.
Here’s an excerpt from a speech delivered by former slave Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852, to an anti-slavery group in Rochester, New York. He gave this speech nine years before the onset of the Civil War.
Would you have me argue that man is entitled to liberty? That he is the rightful owner of his own body? You have already declared it. Must I argue the wrongfulness of slavery? Is that a question for republicans?
Let’s analyze the first three sentences.
Would you have me argue that man is entitled to liberty? That he is the rightful owner of his own body? You have already declared it.
Source: Frederick Douglass, mosaic.grenelise, Flickr
Douglass “asks” two questions and then answers them. Basically Douglass says this: I should not have to argue that all men are entitled to liberty and should not be slaves because the Declaration of Independence states those facts outright. However, Douglass’s use of rhetorical questions reinforces his message that until all men are free, celebrating the Declaration of Independence, a document that specifically states “all men are created equal,” is hypocritical. His use of rhetorical questions allows him to challenge the audience without insulting them or turning them off to his message.
Let’s look at the next rhetorical questions.
Must I argue the wrongfulness of slavery? Is that a question for republicans?
Using your notes, explain what Douglass is saying to his audience. When you are finished, check your understanding to see a sample response. Sample Response:
Douglass is saying the following to his audience: You are all good, intelligent people. I do not need to explain to you that slavery is wrong. You live in a country that allows you to choose how you live. You should understand that everyone is entitled to that freedom.
Douglass’s entire speech is filled with rhetorical questions, underscoring the point that until all men are free, celebrating freedom is a sham.
In the next section, we will discuss sentence structures and look at how using a variety of sentences contributes to meaning.