Syntax is the study of the structure of sentences. We explored the rules that distinguish between grammatical and ungrammatical sentences. In this class we focused on English, however we were able to use what we learned to compare English syntax to other languages. There was a ton of pattern recognition and working through rules. It was like algebra without numbers. Keeping track of all of the constantly updating rules was challenging, but I really enjoyed this scientific approach to language. Additionally, the visual depiction of sentences through Syntax Trees (as shown below) was so fascinating and satisfying to create.
