Schedule: This is a 6-week course that meets twice per week, one hour each session. Contact us for other scheduling options.
Format: Lecture to cover concepts, with as much class interaction and individual practice during class that we can get. No grading; homework is optional but recommended.
Cost: $199 per person for a group class of 4 or more students; $780 for one-on-one tutoring.
Payment options: Payments can be made via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, cash, or check.
Materials: Pencil and paper.
For more details or to schedule a class, contact Michael by email at michaelgold@goldams.com or by phone at 281-770-2276.
Class Description
Sentence diagramming helps us master sentence construction, which helps us write better, read better, and think better.
Just as builders need to know the nature of their tools — hammer, saw, screwdriver, wrench, etc. — and how they work, so also we who communicate and think need to know what our tools of communication and thought are and how they work.
We all must use language to communicate, convince, read, write, speak, interpret, and think. Grammar is a set of rules for using language well, for being clear and concise in our meaning. As it is about how we put concepts together, it is an aspect of logic, i.e., an aspect of keeping our concepts and ideas true to reality.
We need good grammar for:
-effective communication
-avoiding disagreements and misunderstandings
-clear thinking
-convincing and arguing well
-fiction writing
-journalism
-science writing
-reading
-clear, concise, intelligible emails, memos, texts, etc.
-reading in general
-writing in general
Hence, in this class — through lecture, interactive discussion, and interactive work — we will identify and define the parts of speech and we will learn how to diagram sentences containing them.
Sentence diagramming helps us see the relationships between parts of a sentence, i.e., the parts of a thought, and, in breaking ideas out and identifying and relating them, it helps us think and communicate and read more effectively and efficiently.
Hence, in this class — through lecture, interactive discussion, and interactive work — we will identify and define the parts of speech and we will learn how to diagram sentences containing them. Building on Session 1 — parsing sentences, seeing to the kernel of a thought/sentence, and grasping how all the concepts of a thought/sentence connect — we will learn how to parse and think about other grammatical elements: noun clauses, verbals, and more.
Come prepared to listen, take notes, answer some questions, ask some questions, do some work, and start to make a life-long habit of clear communication, writing, and thinking. We will lay down the basic foundation using sentence diagramming; we will start the journey to better thinking and better living through better grammar.
Tentative Schedule
Week 1
Day 1
Review the parts of speech from session 1: noun, verb, pronoun, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction.
Review the four kinds of verbs.
Practice diagramming sentences with prepositional phrases, sentences with compound elements, and sentences with subordinate clauses.
Day 2
Restrictive and non-restrictive clauses.
Practice diagramming sentences with prepositional phrases, sentences with compound elements, and sentences with subordinate clauses.
Week 2
Day 1
Diagramming prepositions of three words.
Implicit “you,” “to,” and “that.”
Diagramming introductory words, direct address, and interjections.
Diagramming elliptical clauses.
Diagramming adverbs that modify adjectives and adverbs.
Day 2
Noun clauses.
Week 3
Day 1
Diagram noun clauses and more
Day 2
Verbals: the infinitive, the gerund, and the participle
Diagramming gerunds
Week 4
Day 1
Review
Practice diagramming gerunds and more
Day 2
Diagramming participles
Week 5
Day 1
Practice diagramming participles
Day 2
Infinitives
Diagramming infinitives
Week 6
Day 1
Practice diagramming infinitives and more
Day 2
The appositive, the objective complement, the adverbial noun
Time permitting:
Improving your writing: starting sentences with prepositional phrases and participles.
Using the adjective and adverb questions to improve your writing.
Objectives
1. To recognize some parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction.
2. To diagram sentences containing subject, verb, adjectives, adverbs, objects, conjunctions, adjective clauses, adverbial clauses, compound elements, and prepositional phrases.
3, To know the four verb types: intransitive complete, transitive passive, transitive active, and linking.
4, To be able to diagram sentences containing the four types of verbs.
5. To be able to diagram introductory words, direct address, and interjections.
6. To be able to diagram elliptical clauses.
7. To know what a noun clause is.
8. To be able to diagram noun clauses.
9. To know what a verbal is: infinitive, gerund, participle.
10. To be able to diagram the verbals.
11. To learn a bit about definitions and concepts.
12. To learn how definitions, examples, and questions help us think better and more efficiently.
“My daughter’s learning experience with Mr. Gold was excellent. The class was very interactive and informative. There were class note summaries and practices provided by Mr. Gold after each class. To learn about the techniques of sentence diagramming would help kids better read and write. My daughter benefited a lot from this class. Highly recommended.”
–Li S., parent, about Outschool class “Sentence Diagramming Grammar Class, Session 1,” 16 Dec 2020
“This was a great introduction to sentence diagramming for my son. Mr Gold provided a lot of great resources as follow up to this class. Very helpful!”
–Jenni C., parent, about Outschool class “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 1,” 17 Aug 2020
“My son (14) took two pages of notes and seemed to learn grammar faster in the session than I could have possibly taught him myself! Probably because it’s easier to listen to someone (anyone, really) who isn’t your parent. Mr. Gold was engaging and informative, and sent not only one follow-up email (a TY to attendees, with some encouragement and advice) but two follow-up emails (the second had two pages of additional work students could do to practice diagramming sentences). I’d say anyone could benefit from this class; I know my son did because I’ve seen little in his notebooks/binders over the years from school covering grammar/parts of speech, with the exception of Spanish class.”
–Amy H., parent, about Outschool class “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 1,” 24 Jul 2020
“My son has nothing but good things to say about this class. He learned a lot!”
–Laura B., parent, about Outschool class “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 1,” 21 Jun 2020
“My son really enjoys this class. He has taken Diagramming 1-3 so far, and he wants to keep going! The teacher takes the full hour and makes the examples challenging enough to keep the kids on their toes while still learning. He also gave follow up notes and practice sentences for my son to continue working on, even when class was done. Amazing!”
–Sue M., parent, about Outschool class “Sentence Diagramming: Lesson 3,” 23 Apr 2020
Why We Need Grammar
The need for studying writing and grammar is in the literature. For example:
1. “Study: Poor Writing Skills Are Costing Businesses Billions” By Kaleigh Moore.
2. “Why Can’t My New Employees Write?” by John Warner.
3. “What Corporate America Can’t Build: A Sentence” by Sam Dillon.
4. “What Do You Mean I Can’t Write?” by John S. Fielden.