A diagram is a visual outline of a sentence. It shows in a graphic the relationships among the various words or groups of words in a sentence. Diagramming serves two purposes. First, it helps you understand how a sentence is put together. Second, it identifies errors in a sentence and makes clear why they are errors.

Why Diagram?

Question:

What do I tell parents and students who don’t see the value in diagramming sentences?

Answer:

Diagramming sentences offers a different approach to learning complex grammar concepts. This is a great way for students to see how different sentence structures are used and how individual parts of speech function as a whole. Ask parents and students to think about a time when they have assembled something using visual directions. This will help them appreciate diagramming.

Diagramming Compound Parts

Question:

What sentences seem to be the most difficult for students to diagram? Do you have an example?

Answer:

Students often need help diagramming sentences with compound parts. Here is an example: