Which term refers to the grammar of sentence construction and word order?

• A. Evidentiary logic
• B. Formal language
• C. Syntax
• D. Informal language

Answer: (C)

Syntax is the area of language study that deals with how sentences are constructed and why word order matters. It covers the rules for combining words into phrases and sentences, how subjects, verbs, and objects relate, and how different languages can have different typical orders. For example, in English the usual order is subject–verb–object, as in “The cat chased the mouse.” If you scramble the order without changing the grammar, you can create awkward or ungrammatical sentences. The other terms don’t fit: evidentiary logic is about using evidence in reasoning, informal language describes casual speech with looser rules, and formal language refers to systems of symbols and rules used in logic or computer languages, not the everyday grammar of sentence construction.