Post 3: Diagramming Sentences

Diagramming sentences for the use of presenting grammar is an interesting way to present such material to a class. As I was reading the beginning of chapter 7 in Grammar Alive! I was agreeing with some of the suggestions that were given. Not only were they giving the reader (me) insight about how to use diagrams to express the important of grammar but also addressing knowledge a teacher needs to be aware of [I was addressing that GA! was addressing its audience, which I was apart of so I used parentheses instead of the usual dash]. Teaching grammar (or any other subject) one needs to be aware of whom the material includes and whom it excludes [I used parentheses to emphasize that GA!’s material suggestion doesn’t always have to just be for grammar but I mainly wanted to address the teaching of grammar]. I realized, with the examples of different kinds of diagrams, I never learned grammar this way and it was extremely confusing for me. As a student, I am a visual learner and as someone who is learning how to teach grammar, this was difficult to understand.  I understand the basics of course but dealing with vertical and horizontal lines within the diagram, I understand where most people get confused.

I have seen diagrams like this before, but this was my first time reading material presented in such a way. I never had any formal education of grammar and that hinders my idea of what experiences using sentence diagramming as a visual. But I can see where this comes in handy and student thrive from the visuals and I can also see where they could have troubles. Some positive outcomes of using sentence diagramming are the visualizations of where objects are placed within sentences. Sometimes modifiers and prepositions and conjunctions are confusing and the diagrams show a physical way to see it [list without the final “and” and using all “ands”].  Students will be able to pick apart sentences and using diagrams they will be able to get a sense of how to put them back together. Students would benefit from this because they would also be able to analyze sentence structures.   Some difficulties that students may have are the confusion of where modifiers and prepositions and conjunctions could go using the diagrams. Students may get confused when they try to use diagramming as a way to learn if they are not visual learners. Diagramming sentences is kind of like a math problem that one needs to solve. If one understands what equation is given, they have the ability to solve it.

Since I haven’t had personal experience with being taught grammar, let alone diagramming sentences, I can’t say that I have experienced such content as a student. As a teacher, I have taught sentence structure with basic sentence diagramming overseas.  I taught examples like 1-4 in chapter 7 in GA! I was able to teach through diagramming and most students understood it but most were confused, probably just because there was a language barrier. That is basically my only experience with visual ways of presenting grammar.

I experimented with two patterns because I felt like I needed practice with all three. Of course I am exposed to all three but I sometimes forget how to use them and their purpose. Pattern 1, parentheses, seemed to be simple, even though I second-guessed myself. It seemed simple enough. I used pattern 2 but there was some confusion if I completed my sentence correctly. After I experimented with it, I believe I did it correctly but I used the pattern in the middle of the sentence.