General Sites on Syntax

• Dr. Syntax is Grinnell College Elizabeth A Dobbs' site designed to improve the writing of arguments. It begins with defining classes of words or parts of speech, and continues with sentence structure, the function of word order, and other topics that are syntax oriented. While designed with English in mind, the site provides ample ideas for teachers of all languages and will be of help in defining terminologies used in class discussions on syntax.

• Syntax I These are notes accompanying University of Delaware Colin Phillips' Introduction to Linguistics. They include a thorough introduction to syntax beginning with lecture 13. We find that the level of discussion and examples provided would benefit teachers seeking general knowledge of the topic and ideas for class activities.

• You Have to Pay Your Syntax
  This site, sponsored by yourDictionary.com, Inc., is an introduction to what syntax is all about. The site presents one sentence with two interpretations that illustrate how essential sentence structure is to the mental processing of language.

• What's the Correct Word Order? (a)
  This exercise was designed by Charles Kelly for ESL students and is part of the extensive Web site Activities for ESL Students. The level of the sentences is very simple, and teachers can use them as templates for their own exercises.

• What's the Correct Word Order? (b)
  This exercise, created by Vera Mello, is part of the Activities for ESL Students Web site. Like Kelly's site above, it provides words that need to be put in order, but at a higher level of sentence complexity.

• Word Order
  Gerald Erichsen provides an introduction to the subject of word order in Spanish, with a variety of simple sentence and phrase examples and their analysis.

• Brief Notes on Word Order in Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese
  This site discusses word order in Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese, while comparing phrases from Harry Potter in the three languages. A good resource for examples!

• Word order
  SIL publications on Word order listed by country. The purpose of SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics) is "to work with language communities worldwide to facilitate language-based development through research, translation, and literacy". This site provides bibliographical information on word order in languages spoken in Africa, The Americas, Asia, and The Pacific. This information is rather scholarly and would probably be more useful to teachers interested in specific languages.