Evolving as a writer is one of the hallmarks of the craft. In order to evolve, writers must improve their writing line by line.. An important step in this evolution is understanding what makes grammar work and function. In this way, writers obtain a larger command of language and set better routines. Therefore, understanding syntax and sentence structure is essential to the craft. As writers, we should know our craft and, unfortunately, part of that is grammar. I say “unfortunately” because English grammar is really hard to understand sometimes, but the more you know the better off you will be when it comes time to write. With that in mind, I think the best place to start is always at the beginning. Of course, we can skip the letters and sounds (vowels and consonants) and jump right into the foundational parts of a sentence: a subject and a predicate.

What is a subject?

To put it plainly, a subject is what the sentence is about. What this means is that the subject is the noun or noun phrase (person, place, or thing) that appears in a sentence. Let’s take a look at example one:

• Example: Larry played his guitar.

In this sentence, Larry is the subject, because that is who or what the sentence is about. Additionally, Larry is a proper noun. As such, it fulfills the requirements of being a subject.

Still confused? Work in reverse by asking yourself what the subject is doing.

So: who played the guitar? The answer is Larry.

In other words, who or what is performing the action of the sentence? In this case, who is playing the guitar.

• Example: The house was on fire.

In this sentence, the house is the subject because that’s what the sentence is about. It’s the noun.

Still confused? Work in reverse by asking yourself what the subject is doing.

So: what is on fire? The house is on fire. Here, the word “was”is acting as a verb, so that’s the action.

Thus, the house, much like Larry, fulfills all the requirements of being a subject: it’s a noun and it’s doing something.

What is a predicate?

A predicate in simple terms is what the subject is doing, or, as I like to put it, the rest of the sentence. This is also the verb part of the sentence or the action.

If it helps, look at your subject like the VIP of the sentence: he/she/it is the most important part, so we can move them off to the side, and now we can identify the predicate. In this case, it is what the VIP is doing—the action they are performing—and it’s the rest of the sentence.

For example one: “played his guitar” is the predicate.

For example two: “was on fire” is the predicate.

It is actually pretty simple!

Conclusion

There are many rules and parts of speech to contend with, but you really need to start at the beginning in order to understand how sentences are written and how to identify the parts of a sentence that, well, make it a sentence. Once you get that down, you are well on your way to mastering the craft.

What is Syntax and Sentence Structure?

To put it simply, syntax is the way an author structures a sentence. The Guilford College Writing Manual states that syntax is a “joystick” that allows you “to control your style,” as it “refers to the way you arrange words in such units as phrases, clauses, and sentences.”

Additionally, Purdue asserts that a writers write and receive as a “matters of syntax.” They arrange different clauses and they flow according to a writer’s whims. Choosing different kinds of syntax allows writers to manipulate the qualities of rhythm and coherence throughout a piece of writing.”

Thus, when we consider syntax, we consider how to structure our sentences.

What are Three Syntax Considerations?

There are many elements to keep in mind when drafting. Three aspects are worth your time and consideration: sentence structure, grammar, and creativity.

Sentence Structure

The top of the list is certainly sentence structure. If you are unfamiliar with different types of sentence structures just remember that there are four main types: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

• Simple: A subject and a predicate (also known as an independent clause).
• Compound: Two or more independent clauses (simple sentences) joined with a comma and a conjunction.
• Complex: One or more independent clauses joined by one or more dependent clauses (and a subordinating conjunction).
• Compound–Complex: Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction and one or more dependent clauses (and subordinating conjunctions).

Grammar

It is important to understand the basic conventions of grammar in writing. That is to say, there are some elements that are absolutely essential for a sentence to work. For instance, capitalize the first word of every sentence, put punctuation at the end, use commas where necessary, and make sure your ideas flow clearly. The best way to get a handle on grammar is to practice writing simply and focus on simple and complex sentences to begin with.

Creativity

The best way to describe the final syntactical consideration is by asking a writer to go to their bookshelf and open their favorite book by their favorite author. Look at the first few lines of their story. What moves do they make as authors to get across their point?

For instance, consider these first lines from famous literary works and authors:

• The Dead Zone by Stephen King: “By the time he graduated from college, John Smith had forgotten all about the bad fall he took on the ice that January day in 1953. In fact, he would have been hard put to remember it by the time he graduated from grammar school. And his mother and father never knew about it at all.”
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: “When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never being able to play football were calmed, he was seldom self-conscious about his injury.”

The writers presented above use a conversational tone. However, consider that Rowling tone is a bit cheekier while King’s is a bit more colloquial. Meanwhile, Lee speaks to the youth of her characters and gives a sort of innocent retelling of events. With that said, each of these writers conveys their point clearly. We have a writing voice and that conveys information in our own way, whether we are informal or formal. Typically, a writer’s creativity and understanding of grammar and conventions guide their voice.

Writing in the Active and Passive Voice

One of the most difficult aspects of the writing craft most writers struggle to conquer is finding their own voice. It takes time and effort and a lot of practice (and a lot of reading). I can’t say that I have a distinctive voice, but I am comfortable with the way I write, and I am comfortable with how I write (if somebody points out a typo, I don’t internalize it as a flaw in my character but merely as the recursive nature of writing).

With that in mind, one easy way to find your voice (or just get comfortable) is to practice writing using the active and passive voice. Today, are looking at both the active and passive voices in writing, and we will analyze usages for both to improve our own writing!

Writing in the Active Voice

What does it really mean to write in the active voice? It’s a grammatical question really, which scares both writers and ELA teachers alike. Believe me, I was in a room with a group of K-5 teachers, and not a one of them raised their hands when asked if they liked teaching writing.

I think most of these fears come from the complexity of the English language (the numerous rules are daunting); but, we really can’t forget that the easiest style of writing is the easiest to understand. As such, active voice sentences force you (at first) to write simple sentences that have a subject (noun typically) doing something (verb).

• Example: Frederick ate cake.

Frederick is the subject (noun/proper noun) and he’s performing the act of eating (verb).

Writing in this way is important because it conveys meaning directly (not unless your subject is a verb, like writing, but we will get into that later). Practice writing a story in active voice using short, simple sentences; then, go back and dress it up with clauses and phrases and whatever else you like that is grammatically appropriate.

Writing in the Passive Voice

If an active voice sentence is a subject performing an action, then a passive voice sentence is a subject receiving an action. This often switches up the order of the noun and verb in the sentence.

• Example: The cake was eaten by Frederick.

Here, we have the action happening to the subject. In fact, we have the cake taking precedent over the true subject, which is Frederick. Ask yourself, who is performing the action? I assure you, the cake is not supposed to be eating, and if it is–call the army.

Passive voice writing is considered poor writing because it obfuscates the subject of the sentence. It blurs what is happening exactly when we should be more exact. 

Though, some writing benefits from the passive voice. One example you will see often is when the subject is unknown:

• Example: A bullet was fired into the residence last night.

In the above sentence, we don’t know who fired the bullet. Though, we can infer that it was done by somebody who did not want to be caught.

Conclusion

Grammar is just a set of rules for you to follow until you want to bend them. Accordingly, the active and passive voice in writing have their own set of rules to follow. Understanding when and where to use active and passive voices will create dynamism in your writing. A helpful way to implement improvements in syntax and sentence structure in writing early on is to think while you write. Writers should be aware of what they are doing while crafting. There are many people who write with fear, angst, and resentment, and with good reason–writing is hard. The key is to find ways to ease the burden of the process so writers can be productive in their creative journeys.