Can you or your children diagram a sentence?

[CPanther95]

I was in elementary school in the early-mid 70's. I remember it being taught, but IIRC we only spent about a week or 2 on the concept.

 

[Christine]

I relate diagramming sentences to multiplication tables. If you diagram ever day, over and over, then it sort of sinks in one day and writing a sentence seems to be easier. Just like learning the multiplication tables. You practice and memorize so that other math is a bit easier when you have the tables down.

 

[xlsm]

I'm another 7th grade diagramer here! (22ish years ago)

I could probably do a simple sentence...funny, but I really wish it was still taught, and for one major reason - I've helped coach elementary school quiz bowl for the past two years, and there are always a ton of questions about parts of speech. I think if the kids knew how to diagram a sentence, they'd have an easier time with this, but they really struggle with this particular topic.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

I am 44 and learned in 8th grade. My DD is in 8th grade and doing it this year. My junior did not learn how to do it. They just implemented it this year for 7th and 8th because the high school teachers were complaining about a lack of grammar being taught. They are spending the first 5-10 minutes of language arts class on grammar this year in the middle school. My kids go to public school.

 

[Kellykins1218]

I always thought diagramming sentences was stupid and I have never once needed that skill. My kids haven't been taught and I hope no teacher ever feels the need to waste their time changing that fact.

 

[Christine]

I always thought diagramming sentences was stupid and I have never once needed that skill. My kids haven't been taught and I hope no teacher ever feels the need to waste their time changing that fact.

Of course it's not a skill you would ever use. It's just about spending repetition getting used to each part of a sentence and how it's used properly. With a diagram it's really easy to see those part. But, yeah, why would you ever want to use it in real life. It's just a building block of learning sentence structure. Certainly not the only way, but for me it was very effective.

 

[LiveYourLife]

No, I can't diagram a sentence, but I CAN fold fitted sheets. Perfectly. So....BOO-YAH!!!

 

[Kellykins1218]

No, I can't diagram a sentence, but I CAN fold fitted sheets. Perfectly. So....BOO-YAH!!!

Now THAT is a skill!

 

[Kellykins1218]

Of course it's not a skill you would ever use. It's just about spending repetition getting used to each part of a sentence and how it's used properly. With a diagram it's really easy to see those part. But, yeah, why would you ever want to use it in real life. It's just a building block of learning sentence structure. Certainly not the only way, but for me it was very effective.

I have no idea why you felt the need to quote me and be sarcastic & snarky

 

[Christine]

I have no idea why you felt the need to quote me and be sarcastic & snarky

Wow wasn't being sarcastic all just trying to agree that it's definitely not a skill you'd use later in life but just doing it (like all those repetitive things they make us go in school) can have value.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Of course it's not a skill you would ever use. It's just about spending repetition getting used to each part of a sentence and how it's used properly. With a diagram it's really easy to see those part. But, yeah, why would you ever want to use it in real life. It's just a building block of learning sentence structure. Certainly not the only way, but for me it was very effective.

For a real simple sentence, it made it easy see each part of a sentence. But, on more complicated sentences where the lines zigged and zagged every possible direction, it really didn't help at all. I mean once the diagram starts looking like an overhead map of Lake Of The Ozarks (or the wiring diagram for the Empire State Building), what's the point?

 

[powellrj]

I just asked DH and he and I both learned how to do it in school. He graduated in 73 and I graduated in 77, so it must of been something taught many, many years ago.

I agree with Christine, I don't remember exactly how to do it, but I know the concept is drilled into me.

I sent my kids to private school in their early years so they learned phonics. I knew our local public school no longer taught it, but I felt it was important enough to make sure they knew the concept, but I am sure they have no idea that was how they learned to read.

 

[Squirlz]

Strangely, I could never figure it out. Yet I am an extremely good writer. I was the Editor AND the Copy Editor of our High School newspaper because no one else tested good enough to divide the job. In college, English 101 was required for all Freshmen. First assignment was to write an essay. When they came bac,k everybody had failed, except mine on which was written "See me". The Professor asked if I had had any help, because no one was supposed to pass that first assignment, but I had. I guess that proves the value of learning to diagram sentences!

 

[Christine]

Strangely, I could never figure it out. Yet I am an extremely good writer. I was the Editor AND the Copy Editor of our High School newspaper because no one else tested good enough to divide the job. In college, English 101 was required for all Freshmen. First assignment was to write an essay. When they came bac,k everybody had failed, except mine on which was written "See me". The Professor asked if I had had any help, because no one was supposed to pass that first assignment, but I had. I guess that proves the value of learning to diagram sentences!

Funny, almost identical story for me. I took English 101 as a freshman and "passed out" of the the class by that first essay. Now, I'm not crediting diagramming sentences for this at all! Who knows what made that subject easy for me. I just remember being in 7th grade and doing it and it sort of "unlocked" something for me. I wish I could say the same for math drills.

 

[Flight]

Taught when I was younger but not in my kid's school district.

I don't remember having it explained why it was important to learn this skill.

 

[MrsDuck]

I can. I went to a Catholic Elementary school in the 90s. Not sure how important it is anymore. I'd rather my kid learn cursive instead, I think.

 

[mamamary]

I asked my daughter and she said she learned it in middle school.

 

[Wendy31]

I attended a private school, & we started diagramming simple sentences in third grade & continued all the way through our senior year. As the years progressed, we went from simple sentences to compound sentences with dependent clauses, prepositional phrases, and other modifiers.

Our 2 older children attended traditional school through 3rd & 4th grade, & they were learning to diagram simple sentences as well. We homeschool currently, and the grammar curriculum we use also teaches sentence-diagramming.

I don't really think sentence-diagramming is something you utilize in your every day life; however, diagramming sentences *does* help students learn to properly construct sentences & identify the parts of sentences. Diagramming sentences is also a learned skill that helps develop brain growth - in the same way that putting together a puzzle does or working w/ pattern blocks. Diagramming is just a good brain exercise. You may not use diagramming in your every day life, but learning that kind of "thinking" will help you in other areas - just like algebra. Most of us don't use algebra in our every day lives, but we use problem-solving skills that we practiced while we were learning algebra. Things like diagramming and algebra just help your brain to think differently.

 

[Pamlur]

I was an expert in high school. A new, young teacher had me diagram a complicated sentence on the chalkboard; I did, and she told me I was wrong. I picked up a textbook and proved her wrong, My mother got a phone call because I was being a smart-aleck. Whatever. I couldn't do it today, because I think they renamed some of those parts of the sentence.

 

[Flight]

I can. I went to a Catholic Elementary school in the 90s. Not sure how important it is anymore. I'd rather my kid learn cursive instead, I think.

In addition to no sentence diagraming in our district, cursive has also been eliminated.