Josie’s Guide to Syntax
A Curated Collection
Syntax. The way we arrange our words to create meaning, to convey ideas, to persuade, to enlighten, to obfuscate. As a writer with a deep fascination for the mechanics of language, I’ve penned a series of articles exploring the power of syntax. This little guide right here? It’s your map to navigating those linguistic adventures.
Syntax Basics
In this section, we lay the foundation. We break down the fundamental building blocks of syntax and how they shape our understanding.
Josie’s Guide to Syntax: Declarative Sentences—Declarative sentences. The bread and butter of communication. In this piece, I explore how these seemingly simple structures can inform, command, direct, inspire, and impact your audience, all through the lens of Virginia Tufte’s analysis in “Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style.”
Josie’s Guide to Syntax: The Case for Adverbs (pts. 1 and 2)—Ah, adverbs. The black sheep of the grammatical family. Shunned by writers like Stephen King, these modifiers are often misunderstood. In this article, I make a case for the judicious use of adverbs and how they can add nuance, rhythm, and precision to your writing.
Syntax in Action
Here, we see syntax at work in the real world. We analyze how the structures of our sentences can shape narratives, reinforce power dynamics, and even perpetuate oppression.
How Congress Uses Syntax to Justify Genocide—In this piece, I dive into the rhetoric used by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and former UPenn President Liz Magill in a heated exchange about campus speech and the Israel-Palestine conflict. I expose how Stefanik’s aggressive, fallacy-laden syntax controls the narrative, while Magill’s qualified, ambiguous language fails to challenge problematic assumptions.
How Biblical Syntax Enforces Social Oppression—Even the holiest of texts aren’t exempt from the power of syntax. Through a close reading of John 3:16, I reveal how the verse’s complex sentence structure, with its cause/effect clauses, conditionality, and parallel construction, actually works to reinforce hierarchical power structures and societal inequities, all under the guise of divine love.
Conclusion
Syntax matters. The way we structure our language has profound implications for how we understand the world and each other. These articles merely scratch the surface of this endlessly fascinating topic. My aim is to encourage you, dear reader, to approach syntax with a critical eye and a curious mind. Pay attention to the structures that shape our discourse, and you’ll be amazed at what you discover. If you’ve found these linguistic escapades enlightening, I invite you to follow me for more forays into the wild world of words. Until next time, keep your sentences sharp and your mind open.
