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It’s true, I love diagramming sentences, and I teach students how to diagram sentences–which is probably enough to get me kicked out of most professional English teacher organizations–if I belonged to any (which I don’t).
But for you rebels out there who subservisely sneak diagramming into your curriculum between studying for state and national tests, here are some resources from the Diagramming Sentences page at the Guide to Grammar and Writing sponsored by the Capital Community College Foundation:
- First, this quote by Gertrude Stein: “I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences.”
- Second, this PowerPoint presentation on the basics of diagramming.
- Third, two pages of examples of basic and advanced diagrams:
- Fourth, the totally cool diagrams of both the Pledge of Allegiance and the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. (Thanks to Boing Boing)
And finally, this tribute to diagramming from Investor’s Business Daily, October 17, 2000:
Follow this link to help me purchase a Kindle reading device!When Joseph R. Mallon Jr. bumps up against a complex problem, he thinks back to a lesson he learned in high school from the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.
The Philadelphia-area school’s Catholic nuns taught him the art of diagramming a sentence. Once all the parts of speech lined up, Mallon pulled clarity from the chaos. It’s a process he uses today to tackle tough issues as chief executive and chairman of Measurement Specialties Inc.
“Sit down quietly. Take (the issue) apart into its component parts. Make sure all the components fit together well. They’ve got to be well chosen, fit together and make sense. There are few (business) problems that can’t be solved that way, as dire as it might seem,” Mallon said. “Sentence diagramming is one of the best analytical techniques I ever learned.”
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3 responses so far ↓
1 Dana Huff // Jan 22, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I went to two different middle schools and three different high schools, and as a result of this disjointed learning, I never learned how to diagram sentences. I have tried to make out diagramming in various grammar books, and I just don’t get it. At this point, I guess it’s a mental block or something. Thanks for sharing these resources, though. Maybe I’ll give it another whirl and be successful this time.
2 vegas art guy // Feb 12, 2008 at 8:26 pm
It does have its uses that is for sure. You can’t have too many tools!
3 Third Grade Teacher // Mar 6, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Lately I have been on a diagramming kick when I realized this might help my students with grammar. They love it, although it is quite challenging for them. I even taught diagramming during my yearly observation.
I think it is one of those things lost as the “good educational practices” pendulum took its swing sometime in the 70s.
I guess that makes me a subversive rebel also.
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