#AP English Language: Syntax and Diction - Your Ultimate Review 🚀

Hey there, future AP Lang rockstar! This guide is your express ticket to mastering syntax and diction, the secret weapons of persuasive writing. We're gonna break it down, make it stick, and get you feeling 100% ready for exam day. Let's dive in!

#🔗 Introduction

This guide will help you understand how sentence structure (syntax) and word choice (diction) dramatically affect how your writing is perceived. We'll explore how to use these tools to make your arguments more compelling and your writing more engaging.

#What You'll Learn:

• How syntax (sentence structure) shapes meaning.
• How diction (word choice) creates tone and impact.
• Strategies to use syntax and diction to enhance your writing.

#🔗 What is Syntax?

Syntax is all about how you arrange words, phrases, and clauses to build sentences. It's the backbone of your writing! Remember study guide 7.4? Let's quickly recap the key points:

#🔗 Four Sentence Structures

• Simple: One independent clause. (e.g., The dog barked.)
• Compound: Two+ independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). (e.g., The dog barked, and the cat hissed.)
• Complex: One independent clause + one or more dependent clauses. (e.g., Because it was dark, the dog barked.)
• Compound-Complex: Two+ independent clauses + one or more dependent clauses. (e.g., Because it was dark, the dog barked, and the cat hissed.)

#🔗 Other Sentence Development Techniques

• Active Voice: Subject performs the action. (e.g., The cat chased the mouse.)
• Passive Voice: Subject receives the action. (e.g., The mouse was chased by the cat.)

* **Parallel Structures:** Using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. (e.g., *She likes running, swimming, and biking.*) * **Anaphora:** Repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of clauses or sentences. (e.g., *We will fight. We will win. We will overcome.*) * **Rhetorical Question:** A que...