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Language and Style ■ Syntactical Choices for Effect 105

Syntactical Moves
Engaging an audience happens sentence by sentence. Effective writers craft sen- LANGUAGE AND STYLE
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tences (or syntax) intentionally with a goal of connecting with their audience.
Some sentences resonate with different audiences differently. However, all writers
use syntax to emphasize their ideas.
Sentences may set up contrasts, while others make comparisons. Some
sentences may repeat, while others may pose questions. The placement of
a sentence within a paragraph or within an essay influences the effect it has
on the audience.
Often, the function of the sentence connects to the content of the speech.
For example, many times, parallel sentences will function to balance the sen-
tence both grammatically and contextually. We often see this in functions of
contrast (juxtaposition and antithesis) and comparisons (parallel structure).
Functions of contrasts are also present in syntactical structures like the rhetor-
ical question, which directly links the content to the audience. Finally, repeti-
tion can connect content to emphasize the noun, adjective, adverb, or pronoun.
Pay attention to the structure and notice the content; how does the function
support the content?
Effective use of syntactical choices allows ideas to be described, clarified,
and emphasized. Ultimately, the syntactical choices a writer makes must be stra-
tegic in a way that allows him or her to further his or her purpose and message.
Keep in mind that merely identifying the type of syntax is not sufficient. What’s
important is to analyze why a writer made a specific syntactical choice. In other
words, what effect does that type of syntax and placement within the overall
argument have on the reader in terms of the writer communicating his or her
message?
The following table illustrates some common syntactical choices frequently
used by persuasive writers to emphasize a particular point to achieve a particular
tone.

INSIDER Syntactical choices are for function, not frills. Writers
purposefully and strategically craft sentences for effect.
TIP Varied sentence structure is not the goal; however, by using
meaningful construction, writers achieve variety.

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