This article lists the SQL SELECT syntax, as implemented by various database management systems (DBMSs). The syntax is listed exactly as each vendor has listed it on their website. Click on the applicable link to view more detail about the syntax for a particular vendor.

The DBMSs covered are MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and Oracle Database.

MySQL

From the MySQL 5.7 Reference Manual:

SELECT
    [ALL | DISTINCT | DISTINCTROW ]
      [HIGH_PRIORITY]
      [MAX_STATEMENT_TIME = N]
      [STRAIGHT_JOIN]
      [SQL_SMALL_RESULT] [SQL_BIG_RESULT] [SQL_BUFFER_RESULT]
      [SQL_CACHE | SQL_NO_CACHE] [SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS]
    select_expr [, select_expr ...]
    [FROM table_references
      [PARTITION partition_list]
    [WHERE where_condition]
    [GROUP BY {col_name | expr | position}
      [ASC | DESC], ... [WITH ROLLUP]]
    [HAVING where_condition]
    [ORDER BY {col_name | expr | position}
      [ASC | DESC], ...]
    [LIMIT {[offset,] row_count | row_count OFFSET offset}]
    [PROCEDURE procedure_name(argument_list)]
    [INTO OUTFILE 'file_name'
        [CHARACTER SET charset_name]
        export_options
      | INTO DUMPFILE 'file_name'
      | INTO var_name [, var_name]]
    [FOR UPDATE | LOCK IN SHARE MODE]]

SQL Server

From the Transact-SQL Reference:

<SELECT statement> ::=  
    [WITH <common_table_expression> [,...n]]
    <query_expression> 
    [ ORDER BY { order_by_expression | column_position [ ASC | DESC ] } 
  [ ,...n ] ] 
    [ <FOR Clause>] 
    [ OPTION ( <query_hint> [ ,...n ] ) ] 
<query_expression> ::= 
    { <query_specification> | ( <query_expression> ) } 
    [  { UNION [ ALL ] | EXCEPT | INTERSECT }
        <query_specification> | ( <query_expression> ) [...n ] ] 
<query_specification> ::= 
SELECT [ ALL | DISTINCT ] 
    [TOP ( expression ) [PERCENT] [ WITH TIES ] ] 
    < select_list > 
    [ INTO new_table ] 
    [ FROM { <table_source> } [ ,...n ] ] 
    [ WHERE <search_condition> ] 
    [ <GROUP BY> ] 
    [ HAVING < search_condition > ]

PostgreSQL

From the PostgreSQL 9.5 Manual:

[ WITH [ RECURSIVE ] with_query [, ...] ]
SELECT [ ALL | DISTINCT [ ON ( expression [, ...] ) ] ]
    [ * | expression [ [ AS ] output_name ] [, ...] ]
    [ FROM from_item [, ...] ]
    [ WHERE condition ]
    [ GROUP BY grouping_element [, ...] ]
    [ HAVING condition [, ...] ]
    [ WINDOW window_name AS ( window_definition ) [, ...] ]
    [ { UNION | INTERSECT | EXCEPT } [ ALL | DISTINCT ] select ]
    [ ORDER BY expression [ ASC | DESC | USING operator ] [ NULLS { FIRST | LAST } ] [, ...] ]
    [ LIMIT { count | ALL } ]
    [ OFFSET start [ ROW | ROWS ] ]
    [ FETCH { FIRST | NEXT } [ count ] { ROW | ROWS } ONLY ]
    [ FOR { UPDATE | NO KEY UPDATE | SHARE | KEY SHARE } [ OF table_name [, ...] ] [ NOWAIT | SKIP LOCKED ] [...] ]

where from_item can be one of:

    [ ONLY ] table_name [ * ] [ [ AS ] alias [ ( column_alias [, ...] ) ] ]
                [ TABLESAMPLE sampling_method ( argument [, ...] ) [ REPEATABLE ( seed ) ] ]
    [ LATERAL ] ( select ) [ AS ] alias [ ( column_alias [, ...] ) ]
    with_query_name [ [ AS ] alias [ ( column_alias [, ...] ) ] ]
    [ LATERAL ] function_name ( [ argument [, ...] ] )
                [ WITH ORDINALITY ] [ [ AS ] alias [ ( column_alias [, ...] ) ] ]
    [ LATERAL ] function_name ( [ argument [, ...] ] ) [ AS ] alias ( column_definition [, ...] )
    [ LATERAL ] function_name ( [ argument [, ...] ] ) AS ( column_definition [, ...] )
    [ LATERAL ] ROWS FROM( function_name ( [ argument [, ...] ] ) [ AS ( column_definition [, ...] ) ] [, ...] )
                [ WITH ORDINALITY ] [ [ AS ] alias [ ( column_alias [, ...] ) ] ]
    from_item [ NATURAL ] join_type from_item [ ON join_condition | USING ( join_column [, ...] ) ]

and grouping_element can be one of:

    ( )
    expression
    ( expression [, ...] )
    ROLLUP ( { expression | ( expression [, ...] ) } [, ...] )
    CUBE ( { expression | ( expression [, ...] ) } [, ...] )
    GROUPING SETS ( grouping_element [, ...] )

and with_query is:

    with_query_name [ ( column_name [, ...] ) ] AS ( select | values | insert | update | delete )

TABLE [ ONLY ] table_name [ * ]

Oracle Database

From the Oracle Database Online Documentation 12c Release 1 (12.1):

subquery [ for_update_clause ] ;

Here is an overview of the options.

subquery::=

{ query_block
| subquery { UNION [ALL] | INTERSECT | MINUS } subquery
    [ { UNION [ALL] | INTERSECT | MINUS } subquery ]...
| ( subquery )
} [ order_by_clause ] [ row_limiting_clause ]

for_update_clause ::=

FOR UPDATE
  [ OF [ [ schema. ] { table | view } . ] column
         [, [ [ schema. ] { table | view } . ] column
         ]...
  ]
  [ { NOWAIT | WAIT integer 
    |  SKIP LOCKED
    }
  ]

See the official Oracle documentation for an explanation of the component subclauses.

Using the GUI

Most DBMS GUIs provide a “Query Builder” or similar to build complex queries. For example, SQL Server Management Studio has the Query Designer that provides this functionality.