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The short story is that syntax means "word order" and semantics means "meaning": Word order affects meaning. Note: Dogs bites man. Man bites dog. The long story is that the rules of natural languages such as English can be divided into several groups, two of which are grammar and semantics. Grammar comprises morphology and syntax. Morphology describes how words are formed from smaller particles: -ed for past tense, 's for possessive, and so on. Syntax describes the order of words: "John loves Mary" versus "Mary loves John." As you can see, both morphology and syntax can affect meaning: "Mary loves John" means something different from "Mary loved John," just as "John loves Mary" does not mean that "Mary loves John."

Writers use syntax (word order) to create both bold and subtle differences in meaning and to avoid ambiguity. Notice the bold semantic difference between, "The United States demanded that Iraq renounce its policies toward Israel" and "Iraq demanded that the United States renounce its policies toward Israel." But because word order can create subtle differences in meaning, writers often change the syntax in order to move words around for emphasis rather than for dramatic shifts in meaning. [The following examples are based on the discussion of "Syntax" in Style, by Joseph M. Williams.] A. "Biologists claim that genes influence aspects of our behavior that we used to think are learned. For example, genes may influence whether we are aggressive or passive."

B. "Genes may influence whether we are aggressive or passive. So say biologists who claim that genes influence aspects of our behavior that we used to think are learned." A. The judiciary's tendency to rewrite the US Constitution is the greatest danger to our republic.

B. The greatest danger to our republic is the judiciary's tendency to rewrite the U.S. Constitution. Notice that in the following A-B pair, the clarity as well as the emphasis is affected.

A. There are few opportunities for professors to work individually with students in large American universities.

B. In large American universities, there are few opportunities for professors to work individually with students.

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