SYNTAXENGLISH LANGUAGE

SYNTAX is concerned with the structure of

phrases, clauses and sentences.

The young boy ate the banana.

The banana ate the young boy.

The dog chased the ball

Chased ball the dog the.

Forget what you thought you knew

about what a phrase is…

A phrase can be defined as a group of words that have

a grammatical relationship with

each other.

Vehicle exhaust fumes are the

largest contributor to urban air

pollution

Vehicle exhaust fumes are the

largest contributor to urban air

pollution

Vehicle exhaust fumes are the

largest contributor to

urban air pollution

Vehicle exhaust fumes are the

largest contributor to urban air pollution

In addition to noun phrases there are also:

Verb phrases Adjective phrases Adverb phrases Prepositional phrases

Vehicle exhaust fumes can cause asthma attacks We need cleaner, healthier, more breathable air. One or two journeys out of the car weekly will help We must move towards a cleaner environment

The sly old fox jumped warily over

the lazy, brown dog lying in the

sun.

The sly old fox jumped warily over

the lazy, brown dog lying in the

sun.

The subject of the sentence is the person or

thing the sentence is about.

The predicate is essentially what is written or said about the subject.

The budgie fell of its perch.

The budgie fell of its perch.

The budgie with circles under its eyes fell of its

perch.

The budgie with circles under its eyes fell of its

perch.

To determine the subject of a sentence, isolate the verb and then make a question

by placing “who?” or “what?” before it.

The answer is the subject.

The students littered the classroom floor with paper

and food scraps

Step 1: Identify the verb.

The students littered the classroom floor with paper

and food scraps

Step 1: Identify the verb.

Step 2: “Who” or “what” littered?

The students littered the classroom floor with paper

and food scraps

Step 1: Identify the verb.

Step 2: “Who” or “what” littered?

The students littered the classroom floor with paper

and food scraps

And what is the predicate?

Ask the question - What about “the students”?

The students littered the classroom floor with paper

and food scraps

And what is the predicate?

Ask the question - What about “the students”?

They “littered the classroom with paper and food scraps”.

Phrase?

Subject?

Predicate?

Identify the verb (v), the subject (s) and then the rest of the predicate(x)

in the following sentences:

Angus threw the letter away

The speeding car swerved around the corner

She made a beautiful pavlova

The people at the convention were amazed

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