My journey with diagramming sentences started in 8th grade. Words divided by lines created elaborate artwork in my mind. Artwork that led to an understanding of grammar. Unfortunately, all I can now remember are lines, random words and puzzlement.
Fast forward to homeschooling and I once again find myself entrenched in grammar. All I can say is Eek! Give me a friendly Greek symbol from calculus and all is well. Give me grammar terms-object of the preposition, adverbial clause, predicate nominative-and a shortness of breath is induced.
Fortunately, homeschooling gives you second chances. After a brief resistance (please don’t ask my husband how I define brief) I’m now embracing the word “grammar”. See, I said it and not one tear was shed!
The irony of grammar is as a classical educator you have to start at the grammar stage in order to understand grammar. Confused? I was. It just means-give me the facts. Before you can solve a calculus equation you need to know about numbers, you don’t jump directly into Greek symbols without knowing addition or multiplication or an array of other facts. You learn the basics, you memorize multiplication tables, you learn fractions, you eventually “gasp” enter the realm of algebra leading to calculus.
Thus, to renter the grammar world, I needed to start at the beginning. I also needed short lessons, simple examples and lots of space for deep breathing. Happily, the answer appeared during a reading lesson. All I can say is, “McGuffey Readers, you Rock!”
Yep, good ‘ol McGuffey led the way. During one of our daily readings a reference was given to a grammar book.
When McGuffey talks, I listen and he led me to Pinneo’s Primary Grammar. Oh, how I love public domain books!
Eureka! Short and easy lessons. Nothing fancy. Free. I eagerly printed all 160 pages.
We are currently on lesson 26 and it has been an excellent review for our Classical Conversations Essentials class. Yes, our class. Plural. I’m learning beside my daughter. I guess you could say the book is more for me than her, but that’ll stay our secret. Shhhh..
I must state, the topic of diagramming sentences is not directly addressed in this book, but to me it gently leads the way. Also, please note, I have found a few sentences to be historically outdated since it’s from 1854; however, I use those as learning opportunities.
Our next step toward sentence diagramming delight will be to dive into “Graded Lessons in English-An Elementary English Grammar: Consisting of One Hundred Practical Lessons” then venture into “Higher Lessons in English: A Work on English Grammar and Composition“.
Both of these books directly address diagramming sentences. Diagrams start at Lesson 20 in “Elementray English Grammar” and at Lesson 12 in “Higher Lessons in English“. At this stage in my grammar knowledge, sentences without examples lead to confusion. I need to see the end result!
Can you imagine my shout of delight when I discovered that both of these books had an answer key! An answer key nicely contained in one volume, “A Key Containing Diagrams of the Sentences Given for Analysis in Reed and Kellogg’s Graded Lessons in English and Higher Lessons in English“. Wow, what a title! Wow, what a relief!
Diagramming sentences might be a road paved with boulders of confusion, but homeschooling allows us the time to dig trenches around the confusing parts and reach our destination with hope. As words on lines form art again in my mind, the joy of grammar becomes a current reality. A reality of truth, beauty and goodness.
