Syntax exercises (24/01/2022)

1. Analyse the writers’ use of passive verb construction and repetition in the following examples (italics mine):

a) We are made kind by being kind.
Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of Mind, 77
The passive verb "made" emphasises the subject that experiences the kindness being created. In this case, the subject is the pronoun "we" and using this inclusive pronoun alongside the passive verb, makes it feel as though the audience can experience this too.

b) They sailed and trailed and flew and raced and crawled and walked and were carried, finally, home.
John Knowles, Indian Summer, 4
By using this passive verb at the end of a sentence with syntax tension, Knowles showcases "they" as being exhausted as after doing so much, they had to be carried home.

1. Analyse the speaker’s use of parallelism and sentence length in the following example:

a) All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.
John F. Kennedy, Inaugural address, January 20, 1961

By using parallelism when he repeats the conjunctional clauses starting with "nor", John F. Kennedy can grab the attention of his readers. This is a persuasive technique used in speeches when repeating words or phrases leads to the audience remembering that part of the speech, making JFK seem more memorable. He then uses the extremely short sentence, "But let us begin." right after an extremely long sentence. This contrast surprises the audience and makes the latter, shorter sentence more impactful and assuring, something that is necessary during an Inaugural address.

1. Find an online advertisement containing visuals and 2-5 sentences. Copy the copy (see definition #3 here) to your blog and add a hyperlink to the full advertisement. Answer the following guiding question in 300 - 500 words:

Southall Travel Advertisement(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt9TKnX6ioA)

Transcript:
Imagine the beauty and mystery of India, the magic of Pakistan, and the excitement of Dubai, the history of Egypt and the spirit of Thailand. Discover these hidden gems and many more just waiting to be explored by you. Call Southall Travel 24 hours a day for the best prices and impartial advice on flights and holidays. Find out why over a thousand people every day trust Southall travel to make the travel they imagine come true.
Call 0844 855 8000.
Southall Travel, the future of Travel.

How is syntax used to persuade the reader?
The use of parallelism in the first sentence where the clause structure [the-adjective-Country] is repeated five times after each other. This reiteration of sentence structure creates a pattern in the minds of the audience, which is something that they are more likely to remember. Patterns stay engraved in the brain longer than loose words. Syntax is also used when the use of passive verb "come" in the sixth line. By installing this, the creator is emphasising the fact that the audience's dream travels are being made true. By emphasising the fact that they can do whatever the consumer wants, they can gain a larger audience because having personalised incentives is an extremely large persuasive factor. This allows for them to create an idea in audience minds that they are consumer-oriented and will do the best for their customers. This persuades these potential customers even more. When looking at the phrase, "Call Southall Travel 24 hours a day...", we see that there is no subject to the sentence. By omitting the use of the subject and using an imperative sentence, the creator is almost urging the audience to actually make the call. This direct, yet formal type of sentence is what persuades the audience to look further into the idea and concept of Southall travel itself. The last line, which is a slogan, is not a full sentence - there is no verb. This is almost like parallelism as there is a comma that separates two similar phrases. Although in terms of clause type, the two are not similar, it is the fact that they both contain the word "travel" and are similar in size that creates this parallelism. This wraps up the entire advertisement with a catchy slogan that people are more likely to remember the company, Southall Travel. If people are able to remember the slogan, they are more likely to use Southall Travel the next time they want to go on a journey.