syntax practice pt.2

1. Analyse the writers’ use of passive verb construction and repetition in the following examples:
a. We are made kind by being kind.
Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of Mind, 77
Passive verb construction is used when the author wants to hide the identity of the subject. Thus, by using "we" it opens up the statement to a broad audience and will refer to we as people rather than a certain group of individuals. Additionally, the repetition of "kind" emphasises the word thus pulling the reader's attention to focus on the meaning of "kind" and how the term is a cycle that effects others.

b. They sailed and trailed and flew and raced and crawled and walked and were carried, finally, home.
John Knowles, Indian Summer, 4
The author uses passive verb construction to dismiss who the unidentified "they" are, therefore drawing focus to the repetition. The repetitive use of "and" emphasises the long distance home and how difficult the journey was. It therefore makes the reader visualise the distance and get in touch with the emotional journey of the trail home rather than it becoming a passing sentence.

2. 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
Sentence length is used to control the emphasis of the important segments of the quotation. This quote is structured so the initial and last sentence contains the important information while the longer middle sentence puts emphasis on the immense space of time that needs to pass rather than informing the audience with new information. Furthermore, in the second sentence parallelism, specifically the similar construction of segments in a sentence, is used to further accentuate the passing of time. The repetition of "nor" and the stress of time such as, "the first one thousand days" and "the life of this administration", highlights the ...

3. Find an online advertisement containing visuals and 2-5 sentences. Copy to your blog and add a hyperlink to the full advertisement. Answer the following guiding question in 300-500 words:
a. How is syntax used to persuade the reader?
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CganiKi4VZY/WtAyXhqbXJI/AAAAAAADFnM/6rBgR4mGN1kW9fp3kDvVxW2zYHCKhK3XQCLcBGAs/s1600/vintage-tobacco-ads-by-female-movie-stars-19.jpg

This cigarette advertisement from 1924 aims to encourage the reader to buy their new Chesterfield king-size cigarette pack. In order to persuade the reader, the author composes the sentences so they end with a positive message about the cigarettes. In the text box at the top of the poster some of the sentences end with "a refreshing smoke every time", "the best cigarette ever made", and "they're best for you". By ending on a positive note, this distracts the reader from the fact that the cigarette pack isn't different from the normal pack apart from a difference in size. Therefore, the sentences are constructed in order for the reader to feel content with the new product since it is the last impression left behind from the product.

Quotations:

• "Either way, you get the same wonderful taste and mildness, a refreshing smoke every time."
• "Yes, the Chesterfield you smoke today is the best cigarette ever made."
• "They satisfy millions ... they're best for you!"