Is the Syntax Style skill free?

Yes. The skill itself is free from aref-vc/syntax-style-skill. SkillProof publishes the install command and an independent test verdict at no cost.

What is the Syntax Style SkillProof Score?

9.2/10 — installs cleanly 5/5, triggers reliably 5/5, output vs. baseline 8/10, docs & honesty 5/5.

How do I install Syntax Style?

Copy the install command from this page, run it in your terminal, and restart Claude Code. Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/ inside a project.

Can I use Syntax Style with Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Codex or other AI tools?

The SKILL.md format is native to Claude (Claude Code, Desktop, claude.ai). The instructions inside adapt to other assistants: Cursor rules, GitHub Copilot instructions, Windsurf rules, Custom GPTs, AGENTS.md for OpenAI Codex, and GEMINI.md for Google Gemini CLI — our conversion guides cover each, and the free converter on the tools page does the wrapping for you.

Syntax Style

Sentence-level prose craft from Tufte's Artful Sentences, not a grammar checker.

by aref-vc · aref-vc/syntax-style-skill

Tested · Works

Install — copy the command Download source ↗

Test report

Verdict: Tested · Works
Score: 9.2/10
Tested: Jul 15, 2026
Environment: Claude Code 2.x (agent harness)
Upstream re-checked: Aug 10, 2026 · dae6723

Rewrote a six-sentence choppy paragraph twice: the baseline just smoothed it with 'and/so/which'; the skill version built one cumulative base-clause sentence per structures.md and landed a short punch sentence, matching the exact 'short by contrast' move from before-after.md -- a real, checkable technique difference, not just polish.

Scored on four weighted criteria — install, triggering, output vs. baseline, docs. How scoring works

Installs cleanly 5/5
Triggers reliably 5/5
Output vs. baseline 8/10
Docs & honesty 5/5

What Syntax Style does

Applies Virginia Tufte's base-clause-plus-free-modifier model and a named kill-list to fix flat, choppy, or AI-sounding prose at the sentence and paragraph level. Triggers on requests to tighten, vary, or fix the rhythm of writing in essays, posts, copy, or docs; does not handle grammar or voice.

How to install Syntax Style

git clone https://github.com/aref-vc/syntax-style-skill.git
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -r syntax-style-skill ~/.claude/skills/syntax-style

Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/ (per-project). Restart Claude Code after installing.

Commands — how to trigger Syntax Style

/syntax-style Sentence-level prose craft from Tufte's Artful Sentences, not a grammar checker.

It also activates on plain-language prompts like these:

This paragraph feels choppy and flat, can you fix the sentence rhythm?
Vary these monotone sentences so the essay doesn't feel so robotic
Tighten the rhythm of this intro with a proper cumulative sentence

Frequently asked questions

Is the Syntax Style skill free?: Yes. The skill itself is free from aref-vc/syntax-style-skill. SkillProof publishes the install command and an independent test verdict at no cost.
Does Syntax Style work with Claude Code?: We tested it with Claude Code 2.x (agent harness) on Jul 15, 2026. Verdict: Tested · Works. Rewrote a six-sentence choppy paragraph twice: the baseline just smoothed it with 'and/so/which'; the skill version built one cumulative base-clause sentence per structures.md and landed a short punch sentence, matching the exact 'short by contrast' move from before-after.md -- a real, checkable technique difference, not just polish.
What is the Syntax Style SkillProof Score?: 9.2/10 — installs cleanly 5/5, triggers reliably 5/5, output vs. baseline 8/10, docs & honesty 5/5.
How do I install Syntax Style?: Copy the install command from this page, run it in your terminal, and restart Claude Code. Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/ inside a project.
Can I use Syntax Style with Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Codex or other AI tools?: The SKILL.md format is native to Claude (Claude Code, Desktop, claude.ai). The instructions inside adapt to other assistants: Cursor rules, GitHub Copilot instructions, Windsurf rules, Custom GPTs, AGENTS.md for OpenAI Codex, and GEMINI.md for Google Gemini CLI — our conversion guides cover each, and the free converter on the tools page does the wrapping for you.