A STUDY OF SYNTAX
Ch. 1 Introduction to sentence analysis
1.1 Syntax
Syntax: the way in which words can be put together in order to make sentences.
1.2 Sentences according to their grammatical form
Statements: also called declarative sentences (mededelingen). These sentences are about
giving information, informing someone or something.
● You are cold.
● They have met the Queen.
The subject normal stands in front of the ‘verb phrase’.
Questions: also called interrogative sentences (vragen). These sentences are about requiring
information, getting information from someone.
● Are you cold?
● Has he seen Harry?
These sentences illustrate subject – verb inversion: the (first) verb comes before the subject.
Content questions: require more than yes/no, usually start with a WH-word.
● What are these students doing?
Commands: also called imperative sentences (bevelen). These sentences are about getting
someone else to do something. They express an appeal for ‘action’ and are also used for
invitations or urgent requests.
● Wait a minute!
● Drop the gun!
Usually, these sentences begin with a verb and do not contain a subject unless it is needed for
extra emphasis or to avoid ambiguity.
Exclamations: also called exclamatory sentences (uitroepen). These sentences express the
speaker’s attitude about something.
● Isn’t she wonderful!
● How awful Boris is leaving!
Usually, these sentences start with ‘How’ or ‘What (a)…’
Predicator: action (persoonsvorm)
Subject: responsible for action (onderwerp) wie/wat + predicator
1
,Object: involved in action (lijdend voorwerp) wie/wat + predic. +
subject
Complement: extra information about these subjects/objects.
Adverbial: time/place reference (bijwoordelijke bepaling) waar/wanneer/hoe
lang/etc.
She / gave / her friend / a nice present / for his birthday.
S P O O A
He / felt / extremely tired / after the long walk.
S P C A
I / met / her / at some bar / some weeks ago.
S P O A A
The UEFA / made / Stephanie F. / referee of tonight’s football match.
S P O A
Ambiguity: sometimes sentences can have more than one meaning. Being able to analyse the
syntactic structure will help to explain them.
Mary / attacked / the man / with the meat clever.
S P O A = Mary the aggressor.
Mary / attacked / the man with the meat clever.
S P O = Mary the hero.
1.3 Sentences and clauses
Most sentences express tense (grammatical ‘time’), which means they contain a finite verb
form (persoonsvorm) to refer to the present or past. They are sometimes referred to as
‘major sentences’. However, there are sentences which do not contain a finite verb but which
are nonetheless capable of occurring alone. They are sometimes referred to as ‘minor
sentences’, and are quite common in colloquial speech.
Finite verb: a verb is finite if it expresses tense and is linked to a subject. It is always the
first (or only) verb that determines whether the predicator is considered finite.
● On this track Ringo plays the drums.
● Students like a little praise every now and then.
Independent clause = always finite.
Changes time when subject/time of action changes.
Command = always finite.
2
, Non-finite verb: a verb is non-finite if it does not show tense, person or number. This means
we are looking at infinitives (with or without ‘to’), -ing forms (present participles) and -ed
forms (past participles).
● Worn out by the heat, they left Bristol.
● Eliza likes to tiptoe around the subject so as not to offend anyone.
Have no subject.
Do not change when subject/time of action changes.
Non-finite verb: to infinitive, -ing form, -ed form.
Most clauses are similar to sentences in that they also express a whole event or situation. An
important difference is that they are not necessarily capable of occurring in isolation. This
means we can find clauses within sentences but not sentences within clauses.
● We cannot cross to the mainland because the bridge had collapsed.
We cannot cross to the mainland makes perfect sense on its own.
Because the bridge has collapsed is not a meaningful unit by itself.
Independent clauses: can stand alone as ‘complete sentences’.
● Tara ate a cheese roll after she watched the news.
Dependent clauses: cannot stand alone.
● Tara ate a cheese roll after she watched the news.
1.4 Sentences according to their type
Simple sentences: a simple sentence consists of one main clause only: a finite clause that
stands alone.
● Johan went to the station.
● We drove to a hotel.
Compound sentences: a compound sentence consists of two main clauses that are of equal
importance and that can stand on their own. They are joined by a co-ordinating conjunction
and can express addition (and), contrast (but, nor, yet), choice (or), reason (for) and
consequence or result (so). A co-ordination conjunction makes the clauses equally important.
● He picked it up and ran over to her = He ran over to her and
picked it up.
● She ate a carrot stick and he ate a fudge finger = He ate a fudge finger and
she ate a carrot stick.
3
Ch. 1 Introduction to sentence analysis
1.1 Syntax
Syntax: the way in which words can be put together in order to make sentences.
1.2 Sentences according to their grammatical form
Statements: also called declarative sentences (mededelingen). These sentences are about
giving information, informing someone or something.
● You are cold.
● They have met the Queen.
The subject normal stands in front of the ‘verb phrase’.
Questions: also called interrogative sentences (vragen). These sentences are about requiring
information, getting information from someone.
● Are you cold?
● Has he seen Harry?
These sentences illustrate subject – verb inversion: the (first) verb comes before the subject.
Content questions: require more than yes/no, usually start with a WH-word.
● What are these students doing?
Commands: also called imperative sentences (bevelen). These sentences are about getting
someone else to do something. They express an appeal for ‘action’ and are also used for
invitations or urgent requests.
● Wait a minute!
● Drop the gun!
Usually, these sentences begin with a verb and do not contain a subject unless it is needed for
extra emphasis or to avoid ambiguity.
Exclamations: also called exclamatory sentences (uitroepen). These sentences express the
speaker’s attitude about something.
● Isn’t she wonderful!
● How awful Boris is leaving!
Usually, these sentences start with ‘How’ or ‘What (a)…’
Predicator: action (persoonsvorm)
Subject: responsible for action (onderwerp) wie/wat + predicator
1
,Object: involved in action (lijdend voorwerp) wie/wat + predic. +
subject
Complement: extra information about these subjects/objects.
Adverbial: time/place reference (bijwoordelijke bepaling) waar/wanneer/hoe
lang/etc.
She / gave / her friend / a nice present / for his birthday.
S P O O A
He / felt / extremely tired / after the long walk.
S P C A
I / met / her / at some bar / some weeks ago.
S P O A A
The UEFA / made / Stephanie F. / referee of tonight’s football match.
S P O A
Ambiguity: sometimes sentences can have more than one meaning. Being able to analyse the
syntactic structure will help to explain them.
Mary / attacked / the man / with the meat clever.
S P O A = Mary the aggressor.
Mary / attacked / the man with the meat clever.
S P O = Mary the hero.
1.3 Sentences and clauses
Most sentences express tense (grammatical ‘time’), which means they contain a finite verb
form (persoonsvorm) to refer to the present or past. They are sometimes referred to as
‘major sentences’. However, there are sentences which do not contain a finite verb but which
are nonetheless capable of occurring alone. They are sometimes referred to as ‘minor
sentences’, and are quite common in colloquial speech.
Finite verb: a verb is finite if it expresses tense and is linked to a subject. It is always the
first (or only) verb that determines whether the predicator is considered finite.
● On this track Ringo plays the drums.
● Students like a little praise every now and then.
Independent clause = always finite.
Changes time when subject/time of action changes.
Command = always finite.
2
, Non-finite verb: a verb is non-finite if it does not show tense, person or number. This means
we are looking at infinitives (with or without ‘to’), -ing forms (present participles) and -ed
forms (past participles).
● Worn out by the heat, they left Bristol.
● Eliza likes to tiptoe around the subject so as not to offend anyone.
Have no subject.
Do not change when subject/time of action changes.
Non-finite verb: to infinitive, -ing form, -ed form.
Most clauses are similar to sentences in that they also express a whole event or situation. An
important difference is that they are not necessarily capable of occurring in isolation. This
means we can find clauses within sentences but not sentences within clauses.
● We cannot cross to the mainland because the bridge had collapsed.
We cannot cross to the mainland makes perfect sense on its own.
Because the bridge has collapsed is not a meaningful unit by itself.
Independent clauses: can stand alone as ‘complete sentences’.
● Tara ate a cheese roll after she watched the news.
Dependent clauses: cannot stand alone.
● Tara ate a cheese roll after she watched the news.
1.4 Sentences according to their type
Simple sentences: a simple sentence consists of one main clause only: a finite clause that
stands alone.
● Johan went to the station.
● We drove to a hotel.
Compound sentences: a compound sentence consists of two main clauses that are of equal
importance and that can stand on their own. They are joined by a co-ordinating conjunction
and can express addition (and), contrast (but, nor, yet), choice (or), reason (for) and
consequence or result (so). A co-ordination conjunction makes the clauses equally important.
● He picked it up and ran over to her = He ran over to her and
picked it up.
● She ate a carrot stick and he ate a fudge finger = He ate a fudge finger and
she ate a carrot stick.
3
