Syntax Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: 6-12 Writing

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

The concept of syntax is focused on how an author arranges their words to form their sentences. There is a commonly used formula for composing sentences which tells us that the verb is usually found smack dab in the middle of the subject and the direct object. While this is not a fixed rule, it gives us a good foundation to begin with. Writing with proper syntax allows you to be able to convey your thoughts and give meaning to your text for readers. When we use a varied degree of syntax in our writing it can add a aesthetic pleasing or even comical feeling to a work. The way in which we order words also creates a sense of pace, mood, and tone to a work. These worksheets will help students explore a wide array of experiences for improving their pacing and use of syntax in their work and revising that of others.

Syntax Worksheets To Print:

Put the Sentences in Order - Put each set of words in order to make a clear thought that is worth expressing.

Declare Something - Put the words in order to create a set of declaratives.

Practice Page - Write a statement based on each picture. Take some time to think and compose something creative.

Outside the Norm - Circle the word that is out of order in the series that you see.

Syntax for Interrogatives - Rewrite each declarative as an interrogative. See what needs to change in order for this to happen.

Declarative or Interrogative? - Based on the syntax, identify whether each sentence is declarative or interrogative.

Be a Builder - Construct sentences by choosing one word from each column and adding articles to connect them. It is okay if your sentences are silly!

See What You Learned - Write a sentence about each picture.

Verb Tense - Choose the correct tense of the verb to complete the sentences.

Composer - Add a subject or a predicate to turn each set of words into a sentence. Write the sentence on the line.

Placing Modifiers - Rewrite each sentence, adding the adjective(s) or adverb(s) in parentheses to the sentence.

Word Usage - Circle the correct set of terms to complete each of the thoughts that are setup for you.

Which Word? - What makes these sentences fully complete?

Live Practice - Write original sentences as indicated below.

What is Missing? - Each set of words below is missing something that is keeping it from being a complete sentence. What is it missing? Write it on the line.

What are the Foundational Syntax Rules of English?

English is a very flexible language and is constantly adding new vocabulary terms to allow for even greater ways in which you can use it. Often without deleting or adding words you can rearrange terms and bring new meaning to a sentence simply. When it comes to ordering these terms there are well over five hundred different rules, but there are some general rules that you use much more often. The basic rules for properly writing in English that include:


Different Ideas Belong in Different Sentences - When you see two or more independent clauses in a sentence, they are often used to form a run-on sentence. It is best to place them in separate sentences, it makes it much easier for the reader to follow. Larger ideas should be carried over to the next paragraph. Remember that you do not want to overwhelm writers you just want to share with them.


Subject and Verb Required - In order to create a sentence, you must have these two parts of speech and it must convey a complete thought. If a sentence lacks any of these criteria, instead you have a fragment. While fragments are acceptable when writing informally or in a creative manner, they usually should be avoided.


SVO Pattern - There are seven syntactic patterns in all, but the subject-verb-object pattern is the most widely used and accepted. Just because a sentence does not follow this pattern does not mean that there is something wrong with it. This same pattern is popular in many different languages.


Beware of Dependent Clauses - This can be a tricky one because these clauses have a subject and verb. They look a great deal like a complete sentence, but they are incomplete because they do not express a complete thought.


There are well over five hundred more rules of syntax, but these are the rules that you will come across most often and should keep in the forefront of your mind.