What does "awkward syntax" mean? My English teacher wrote this on research paper. I have no idea what it means.

Awkward syntax means your sentence is structured weirdly. Rearrange it so it flows smoothly and naturally.

Syntax is the structure of a sentence. It is also an area of linguistics (the science of language) which deals with where certain words go in a sentence and what their roles are - think of it like the anatomy & physiology of language.

If your teacher says 'awkward syntax', it means the structure of the sentence is a bit off, or its oddly worded. Try rearranging the different parts so they run more smoothly and naturally.