Whizzy Help
How to use Teachit’s Syntex
Six simple activities for Syntex
Recipes from Chris Warren, Teachit’s Word Chef
Syntex is quite unique, and makes a colourful exciting drama out of a potentially lifeless, grey subject – the order of words and the
meaning that order implies.
I’ve put my chef’s hat on, crushed a few garlic cloves, chopped (weeping) a few onions, lit the gas and done some cooking. Here are
a few Syntex recipes to get you started with using Syntex. In each case, the example I give is an exemplar – once you’ve got the
basic idea you can produce lots and lots of your own on the same lines.
The focus here is firmly on syntax, main clauses, sub-clauses, and the decisions we need to make about these structures in order to
improve our writing.
Try copying these phrases into the Syntex input box.
Set the parameters so that you can edit your input text easily – include a punctuation palette and the ability to add words to the text
on the fly. Then hit the Explore Syntex button and you’re away!
1. Phrases in parenthesis
Explore phrases in parenthesis and the punctuation that goes with them:
The salesman, who hated dogs, avoided houses with a ‘Beware of the Dog’ sign outside.
Or even, if you wanted to illustrate three types of bracketing punctuation:
The salesman, who hated dogs (especially Doberman Pinschers), avoided houses with a ‘Beware of the Dog’ sign outside.
2. The position of the parenthesis affects the emphasis
Try alternative positions for ‘I wondered’:
Where, I wondered, had the police got to?
How many perfectly legitimate places will ‘I wondered’ go in the sentence? Which one sounds best? Why?
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How to use Teachit’s Syntex
3. The pecking order of adjectives
If you wanted to describe a haunted house, in what order would you put the adjectives in brackets? What are the rules? Are some
word orders ‘wrong’?
(creepy huge black) The house,,.
How about this set used to describe the man’s eyes?
(little black close-set) The man had eyes
Are there different rules for ‘little’? If so what are they?
4. The order of actions
If your writing describes a series of actions, getting the sequence right and the emphasis to ‘agree’ with the sequence will make what
you say a lot more powerful. You could try a series of short, punchy sentences for drama, or keep everything in one sentence to
show a continuous movement of events. Explore the possibilities with this sentence:
The thief had snatched my wallet, passed it to his accomplice further down the bus and, before I had time to think what to do, was
about to step down onto the crowded street and disappear.
5. Foregrounding the important points
Syntax can help you make sure that your best ideas are read carefully – it’s like setting up a lamp to spotlight the crown jewels. First
decide which idea is most important, then arrange the sentence so that it gets the most attention. This may involve cutting some
material out – or if you feel it’s vital to include it, putting it in a separate sentence. See what happens when you work with this
sentence:
You will need to practise, to be serious and single-minded, to be aggressively competitive, and you will need strength of body,
character and mind, if you want to win at any sport.
6. Selling an idea
Advertisers spend large sums of money perfecting the ‘copy’ or text that goes with an advert. After all, the advertising campaign may
be costing thousands of pounds, so the actual words used have to be arranged perfectly. Emphasis, alliteration, and the choice of
the right adjective – all these can change the way that the text is read.
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How to use Teachit’s Syntex
This is a travel advert – see if you can unscramble the text and reconstruct the two sentences. The first sentence contains 8 words
and the second 21 words. Most importantly, can you attach the right adjectives to the right nouns, and arrange the points in their best
order? Imagine that you are working for an agency and that you are being paid £4,000 for this work. You MUST get it right!
and and by coastal cruise Experience fishing fjords friendly local lush meet Norway on people picturesque scenery See the the the
the the the travelling unspoilt villages wildlife wonderful
Hints:
•
Start by colouring all the adjectives one colour and all the nouns another.
•
You can identify the first words in each sentence easily!
•
How many nouns might there be? A clue can be found by counting the word ‘the’. Why is this so?
•
Look for ‘idiomatic’ expressions – phrases that have a set form – advertisers often like these sorts of constructions because they
need to communicate quickly and efficiently.
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