syntax: the definition

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The definition

Here is my first written about syntax and I want to start it by inviting you my students or all of the readers to understand first about the title of our subject “syntax”. We expect that by understanding what syntax is it will give you picture about what we will discuss in this syntax subject and in the end of this I hope that you get understanding and not confuse any more.

  

Syntax is a part of linguistic that learns how the language works and it study of sentence structure

What is structure?

To easier us to understand, let see the following sentence:

The students loved their English assignments

We could describe the sentence above consists of a linear string of words. The words “the, students, loved, their, English, assignments”  and we can claim that those  words  are  grouped  into  units  (called  constituents)  and  that those  constituents  are  grouped  into  larger constituents,  and  so  on  until  you  get  a sentence.  So in this subject we will talk much about words (part of speech: noun, verb, preposition, and adverb/adjective) and about constituents of sentences. Each of sentences consists of two constituents. They are (1) Noun phrase and (2) verb phrase.

sentence constituent
Noun phrase		verb phrase

A constituent   is any group of words (or even single words) that functions as a unit. Phrases and clauses are types of constituents. Phrases are generally constituents that are built up around a particular word. For example, a noun phrase consists of a noun and all the words that modify it.  We will look at clauses   in more detail in next meeting.

Why Do We learn Syntax and What Is It Good for?

There are many reasons for studying syntax such as those in the following:

• To help us to illustrate the patterns of English more effectively and clearly. 
•  To enable us to analyze the structure of English sentences in a systematic and explicit way.