Tightening SyntaxBy Matt Neal

Definition

Syntax is the technical word that is used

to describe sentence structure.

Why is it Important?

A well-ordered sentence makes meaning clear and concise, whereas a badly-

ordered sentence makes it difficult for the reader to understand.

Example - Bad Syntax

Although the current law for establishing whether something is a fixture or fitting can be argued to be rather messy and

incoherent.

Example - Good Syntax

Although it could be argued that the current law for establishing whether

something is a fixture or fitting is rather messy and incoherent.

Example - Bad Syntax

The client’s home we worked on was very pleased and called me later to

make sure I understood that she was thrilled.

What’s wrong with this structure?

Example - Good Syntax

The house was not the one who called and was pleased, instead the sentence

could be written like this:

The client was very pleased. She called specifically to tell me that she was thrilled with the work we did on her

home.

Example - Bad Syntax

"The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and

brightly colored flyers taped to its front."

What’s wrong with this structure?

Example - Good Syntax

“Room” is the subject of the sentence, so you have a dangling modifier; therefore everything from "cluttered"

to the end of the sentence is presumed to apply to "room," not to "counter." Instead it should be written like

this:

The room was cut in half by a long counter that was cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly

colored flyers taped to it’s front.

Works CitedPayne, Lucile V. The Lively Art of Writing. N.p.: Mentor, n.d. Print.

University of Essex. How to Improve Your Academic Writing. N.p.: UE, 1995. Print.

https://www.essex.ac.uk/myskills/How_to_improve_your_academic_writing.pdf

Wordpress. "Sentence Structure/Bad Example | Writing Tips." Bad Syntax. Twenty Ten

Theme, 15 Nov. 2007. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

http://writingtips.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/sentence-structurebad-example/