Julpost Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 My darling 10yo dd asked me this awhile ago and I wasn't sure how to answer. Through homeschooling, my dc are learning so much more than I ever did, so I don't have personal experience to draw from. I have heard it's important, but I'm not sure why, really. I know, however, that there are many on this board who do understand why learning to diagram sentences is important and what it's benefits are. Could you share them w/me so I understand better and can share them with her? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I think it helps you to understand words and their usage. By picking apart a sentence you can see how each word functions. Its role. This will help understanding of the sentence and better writing. Plus I think it would help facilitate learning another language. Plus, I think it is interesting personally. Although I also think reading the OED is interesting so I may not be the best person to answer this question for you.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I think diagramming is an excellent tool for understanding sentance structure. It is worth learning, IMO. Besides, it's actually kind of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Personally, I think diagramming is stupid! No, really I do. I've been out of high school for 30 years and I have never, ever, ever had to use sentence diagramming. I haven't EVER had to know what each word in a sentence meant either. When we did diagramming in our homeschool, I skipped over it and neither myself or my child are any worse off because of that. Sorry, but that's just how I feel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 It's an excellent way for a child to have a visual picture of how words in a sentence function. Sure, you can study adverbs, adjectives, phrases, and clauses, but diagramming them makes all that tangible. Ria (I can't help it...I was an English major!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 with the word "awkward" anywhere? That was always a dreaded word, who knew how you were really supposed to correct that?!!! Diagramming is the answer. In addition to what others have said about helping to visualize the relationships between words, diagramming helps one to figure out how to smooth out those awkward passages. A good sentence should be diagrammable. If you come across an awkward sentence in your student's writing, have him diagram the sentence. (That's why we have to learn it, too!) It is a great diagnostic tool. My high schooler now can tell when something in his own work sounds awkward, and he uses diagramming to self-diagnose. I think it is a skill worth preserving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELaurie Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 in grammar school. I studied German for four years in HS, and for two years in college without ever really understanding basic English grammar. It wasn't until I began learning Greek in college that I really began to master it; later I took a couple of graduate level Hebrew classes at a local seminary. I was very grateful that I had a better grasp of English grammar at that point. Many of the other students were very lost because they didn't know the fundamental grammar of their native English language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Personally, I think diagramming is stupid! No, really I do. I've been out of high school for 30 years and I have never, ever, ever had to use sentence diagramming. I haven't EVER had to know what each word in a sentence meant either. When we did diagramming in our homeschool, I skipped over it and neither myself or my child are any worse off because of that. Sorry, but that's just how I feel! It is a means to an end IMO, not an end in itself. I don't think you need to diagram sentances to understand how they are put together, but for many of us it is a big help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Personally, I think diagramming is stupid! No, really I do. I've been out of high school for 30 years and I have never, ever, ever had to use sentence diagramming. I haven't EVER had to know what each word in a sentence meant either. When we did diagramming in our homeschool, I skipped over it and neither myself or my child are any worse off because of that. Sorry, but that's just how I feel! You clearly did not go to school with my mother-in-law, who was assured by the nuns that a painstakingly neat diagramming book would be necessary in one's "hope chest". (She still has it. I don't think my father-in-law has ever looked at it) I loved diagramming in school. It helped me immensely to visualize and coordinate words when writing. (I also keep a copy of Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog in the car to skim through and chuckle while riding, so I might be odd.) Plus, it's fun, like a word puzzle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 However, it helped me a lot in studying German. I also sometimes use it to figure out exactly what is going on when I'm studying the book of Romans in the Bible--some of those long, convoluted sentences really are made much more lucid when the relationships among the clauses are diagrams and when the sentence spine is identified clearly. DD doesn't always have an easy time with grammar, but diagramming is helping her to keep the main parts of sentences straight, and to clarify her reading. Sometimes she can diagram a sentence even if she has trouble identifying the parts of it by name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmschoolmom22 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Personally, I think diagramming is stupid! No, really I do. I've been out of high school for 30 years and I have never, ever, ever had to use sentence diagramming. I haven't EVER had to know what each word in a sentence meant either. When we did diagramming in our homeschool, I skipped over it and neither myself or my child are any worse off because of that. Sorry, but that's just how I feel! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I have the barking dog book, too! You use it when you learn languages and it's just an almost dead art. Think of it as a puzzle, and maybe it won't be so bad! Carrie:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I'm not sure about diagramming, but having an understanding of the workings of the English language seems like a sensible educational goal seeing as how it is our language. If diagramming leads to that understanding then it's a useful tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) Here's my take on it. Diagramming is a way to "imbed" so to speak, the mechanics of the English language into your mind such that, once there, you simply use the language better without thinking about it. I think about riding - when I'm riding a horse, all the hours of practice USING my rein and leg aids to do stupid little patterns and exercises have made it so that now when riding, I simply do it right without thinking about it. I may not ever do those patterns or exercises again. I don't need to because NOW I have full USE of my tools ( rein and leg aids) Diagramming is like creating English usage "muscle memory". ps. I probably WILL have to do those dumb patterns again - for the horse this time! Edited January 17, 2009 by katemary63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 A few others have already stated that it is quite useful to have a firm grasp of English grammar if one wishes to master a foreign language. I wholeheartedly agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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