Final answer:
The proper syntax for extracting data from a MySQL database is to use the SELECT statement.
Step-by-step explanation:
In MySQL, the proper syntax for extracting data from a database is to use the SELECT statement. The basic syntax is as follows:
SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_name
Here is an example:
SELECT first_name, last_name FROM students
This statement will retrieve the first and last names of all students from the 'students' table.