achieve particular effects.Although syntax is determined partly by the lexical content (or meaning)of the words and partly by the basic grammatical structure of the language,every writer enjoys considerably freedom to shape and control the syntactic elements of style.In looking at an author's syntax we want to know how the words have been arranged and particularly how they deviate from the usual and expected. Although one can study syntactic units smaller than the sentence---for example, individual phrases that call attention to themselves by their length,content,and placement---syntax is probably most easily approached and analyzed in sentences. Such an approach mirrors most closely the writing process itself,for sentences are the major units of thought,and it is on the crafting of sentences that most authors concentrate their creative energies.Sentences can be examined in terms of their length---whether they are short,spare,and economical or long and involved;in terms of their form---whether they are simple,compound,or complex;and in their construction---whether they are loose(sentences that follow the normal subject-verb-object pattern,stating their main idea near the beginning in the form of an independent clause),periodic(sentences that deliberately withhold or suspend the completion of the idea until the end of the sentence),or balanced(sentences in which two similar or antithetical ideas are balanced) Each type of sentence will have a slightly different effect on the reader.Long. complicated sentences slow down and retard the pace of a narrative,whereas short, simple sentences hasten it.Loose sentences,because they follow the normal, predictable patterns of speech,tend to appear more natural and less contrived than either periodic or balanced sentences,particularly when they are used in the creation of dialogue.Moreover,the deliberate arrangement of words within individual sentences or groups of sentences can result in patterns of rhythm and sound(pleasant or unpleasant)that establish or reinforce feeling and emotion.Although an author will usually vary the kinds of sentences used to avoid monotony (unless monotony is intended),certain syntactic patterns will dominate and become characteristic of that author's style. Style can be used as an aid to characterization,the creation of setting andachieve particular effects. Although syntax is determined partly by the lexical content (or meaning) of the words and partly by the basic grammatical structure of the language, every writer enjoys considerably freedom to shape and control the syntactic elements of style. In looking at an author’s syntax we want to know how the words have been arranged and particularly how they deviate from the usual and expected. Although one can study syntactic units smaller than the sentence---for example, individual phrases that call attention to themselves by their length, content, and placement---syntax is probably most easily approached and analyzed in sentences. Such an approach mirrors most closely the writing process itself, for sentences are the major units of thought, and it is on the crafting of sentences that most authors concentrate their creative energies. Sentences can be examined in terms of their length---whether they are short, spare, and economical or long and involved; in terms of their form---whether they are simple, compound, or complex; and in their construction---whether they are loose(sentences that follow the normal subject-verb-object pattern, stating their main idea near the beginning in the form of an independent clause), periodic(sentences that deliberately withhold or suspend the completion of the idea until the end of the sentence), or balanced(sentences in which two similar or antithetical ideas are balanced) Each type of sentence will have a slightly different effect on the reader. Long, complicated sentences slow down and retard the pace of a narrative, whereas short, simple sentences hasten it. Loose sentences, because they follow the normal, predictable patterns of speech, tend to appear more natural and less contrived than either periodic or balanced sentences, particularly when they are used in the creation of dialogue. Moreover, the deliberate arrangement of words within individual sentences or groups of sentences can result in patterns of rhythm and sound (pleasant or unpleasant) that establish or reinforce feeling and emotion. Although an author will usually vary the kinds of sentences used to avoid monotony (unless monotony is intended), certain syntactic patterns will dominate and become characteristic of that author’s style. Style can be used as an aid to characterization, the creation of setting and