RED ROSES

Syntax: Definition and Examples In linguistics , syntax refers to the rules that govern the ways in which words combine to form phrases , clauses , and sentences . It's the concept that enables people to know things like adjectives generally come before the nouns they describe (green chair), how to start a question with a question word (What is that?), that subjects often come before verbs in non-question sentences (She jogged.), prepositional phrases start with prepositions (to the store), helping verbs come before main verbs (can go, will do), and so on. Key Takeaways: Syntax Syntax is the proper order of words in a phrase or sentence. Syntax is a tool used in writing proper grammatical sentences. Native speakers of a language learn correct syntax without realizing it. The complexity of a writer's or speaker's sentences creates a formal or informal level of diction that is presented to its audience.  For native speakers, using ...