What effect does the sentence structure have on the bolded sentence? the long, drawn-out syntax signals the lengthy, two-year journey of the uncle caring for his niece and nephew. the lack of punctuation marks in the sentence reveals the uncle's rambling thoughts about not liking the children. the long, drawn-out syntax is the same length as the first two sentences, so it does not mean anything. the short, choppy syntax reflects the uncertainty over who will care for the children after their parents' death.