Savoring Syntax

Sentence: In the meadow, we can build a snowman.

ANALYSIS

Source: traditional christmas song

CEFR Level: B1

Organization: comma separating adverbial phrase

Syntax:

• where?
• subject
• predicator (in present modal)
• object

Speech:

• 2 nouns
• 2 verbs
• 1 preposition
• 2 determiners

Phrase:

• 1 adverbial
• 1 verb
• 1 noun

Clause: 1 independent

Sentence Structure: simple

Sentence: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go.

Source: traditional Christmas song

CEFR Level: B1

Organization:

• apostrophe for contraction combining it + is
• comma separating the independent clause from the adverbial clause

Syntax:

• subject
• predicator in present progressive
• complement
• where?

Speech:

• 2 nouns
• 5 verbs
• 1 adverb
• 2 pronouns
• 1 determiner

Phrase:

• 2 verb phrases
• 1 adverbial phrase

Clause:

• 1 independent clause
• 2 dependent adverbial clauses

Sentence Structure: complex

Sentence: My plan is to go to the beach on Sunday morning.

Source: FB

CEFR Level: A2

Organization: NA

Syntax:

• subject
• predicator (in present simple)
• complement
• when?

Speech:

• 3 nouns
• 3 verbs
• 1 adjective
• 2 determiners
• 2 prepositions

Phrase:

• 1 noun phrase
• 1 verb phrase
• 2 adverbial phrases

Clause:

• 1 independent clause
• 1 dependent noun clause

Sentence Structure: complex

Sentence: Wherever one looks in the historical record, traces of cultural exchange can be discerned.

ANALYSIS

Source: ChatGPT

CEFR Level: C1

Organization:

• starts with conjunction – thus sentence is fronted by dependent clause (inverted)
• comma after “record” separates dependent from independent clause

Syntax:

• Where? (adverbial clause)
• subject
• predicator (in present modal, passive voice)

Speech:

• 3 nouns
• 4 verbs
• 2 adjectives
• 1 conjunction
• 1 pronoun
• 1 determiner
• 2 prepositions

Phrase:

• 1 noun
• 1 verb
• 1 adverbial

Clause: 1 adverbial + 1 independent

Sentence Structure: complex

Sentence: The historian warned that any attempt to simplify the narrative is going to distort the complex interplay of political and cultural forces at work.

ANALYSIS

Source: ChatGPT

CEFR Level: C1

Organization: subordinating conjunction between independent and noun clauses

Syntax:

• subject
• predicator (in present simple)
• direct object (other sources list as a complement)

Speech:

• 6 nouns
• 7 verbs
• 3 adjectives
• 3 determiners
• 2 conjunctions
• 2 prepositions

Phrase:

• 2 noun phrases
• 2 verb phrases
• 2 adverbial phrases

Clause:

• 1 independent
• 1 noun clause

Sentence Structure: complex

ANALYSIS

Sentence: I’m concerned that the rapid automation of essential services is going to redefine not only labor markets but also societal expectations of human expertise.

NOTES

Source: ChatGPT

CEFR Level: C1

Organization:

• apostrophe joining “I” + “am” into contraction
• “that” as subordinating conjunction

Syntax:

• subject
• predicator (in present simple)
• complement

Speech:

• 5 nouns
• 5 verbs
• 6 adjectives
• 3 adverbs
• 1 pronoun
• 1 determiner
• 2 prepositions
• 1 conjunction

Phrase:

• 3 noun phrases
• 1 verb phrase
• 1 adverbial phrase

Clause:

• 1 independent
• 1 dependent noun clause

Sentence Structure: complex

They’re launching the pilot program in the coming weeks, despite unresolved questions concerning its methodological rigor.

ANALYSIS

Sentence: They’re launching the pilot program in the coming weeks, despite unresolved questions concerning its methodological rigor.

NOTES

Source: ChatGPT

CEFR Level: C2

Organization:

• apostrophe combining “They” + “are” into contraction
• comma adverbial phrase from rest of sentence
• “despite” acting a link to adverbial phrase

Syntax:

• subject
• predicator (in far future progressive)
• object
• When? (providing future adverbial for predicator
• How? – contrast

Speech:

• 4 nouns
• 2 verbs
• 4 adjectives
• 1 pronoun
• 3 determiners
• 3 prepositions

Phrase:

• 1 noun
• 1 verb
• 2 adverbial

Clause: 1 independent clause

Sentence Structure: simple

ANALYSIS

Sentence: Advanced AI systems will increasingly be expected to justify their reasoning processes in ways that are transparent and ethically defensible.

NOTES

Source ChatGPT

CEFR Level: C2

Organization: NA

Syntax:

• subject
• predicator (in future passive voice)
• How? #1 (“increasingly”)
• How? #2

Speech:

• 3 nouns
• 6 verbs
• 5 adjectives
• 2 adverbs

Phrase:

• 2 noun phrases
• 2 verb phrases
• 1 adjectival phrase
• 1 adverbial phrase

Clause:

• 1 independent clause
• 1 adverbial clause
• 1 (embedded) adjectival clause

Sentence Structure: complex

Sentence: Alone together at last, I told her how I thought that –in my unbiased opinion–the incidence of oxymorons in the English language had been growing smaller.

NOTES

Source: Brian Bilston, The Incidence of Oxymorons. 2022

CEFR Level: C2

Organization:

• 1 comma separating initial adverbial phrase from rest of sentence
• 2 subordinating conjunctions introducing 2 embedded noun clauses
• 2 m-dashes showing parenthetical information

Syntax: 5 constituents:

• adverbial (How?)
• subject
• predicator (in past simple)
• indirect object
• direct object

Speech:

• 3 nouns
• 5 verbs
• 5 adjectives
• 1 adverb
• 2 pronouns
• 3 determiners
• 4 prepositions

Phrase:

• 4 adverbial
• 1 noun
• 1 verb

Clause:

• 1 independent
• 2 embedded dependent – noun

Sentence Type: complex

In honor of Veterans’ Day.

ANALYSIS

Sentence: I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.

NOTES

Source: Abraham Lincoln, 1864

CEFR Level: C2

Organization: 3 commas: 1) separating the verb phrases of assuage and leave; 2) separating the noun phrases of memory and pride; and 3) separating the adverbial phrase Why?

Syntax: 4 constituents: subject + predicator (in present simple) + object + adverbial Why?

Speech: 10 nouns, 9 verbs, 3 adjectives, 3 adverbs, 2 pronouns, 8 determiners, 3 prepositions, and 5 conjunctions

Phrase: 4 noun phrases, 2 verb phrases and 1 adverbial

Clause: 1 independent + 1 embedded dependent noun clause

Sentence Type: a complex sentence