YOUR OWN SYNTAX
You must be able to write effective and fluent sentences for effective prose. Just as the writers whose
work is featured on the exam use syntactical patterns, so can you. Study the patterns (see Chapter 5) and
learn the value of each. Practice writing various types of patterns. For example, one week, write just
simple sentences, the next week compound, etc. This will result in your being able to use anaphora or
polysyndeton without even thinking of how to do it, just knowing why you want to do it.
The best way to get better at sentence crafting is to recognize it in the texts you read and then emulate
the patterns and effects you see.
Here is an activity to help you to practice writing better sentences.Copy-change activity:
Make a copy of a highly effectively paragraph from a book and study it. Learn the
sentence patterns. Label the sentence types you see. Then, rewrite the paragraph with
a new topic. Change the nouns and verbs to fit the new topic, but not their
placement. Replicate phrases, clauses, and punctuation exactly. Learn by imitating.