Schedule: We will meet for two weeks, five days a week, 1 hour per day. (10 hours total.) Contact us for other scheduling options.
Format: A course in basic grammar, with lecture to cover concepts, and lots of class interaction and individual practice. We will learn concepts and practice them to attain mastery. No grading; homework is optional.
Cost: $199 per person for a group class of 4 or more students; $650 for one-on-one tutoring.
Payment options: Payments can be made via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, cash, or check.
Materials: Paper and pencil. No text.
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.
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 for sentence diagramming; we will start the journey to better thinking and better living through better grammar.
Tentative Schedule
Week 1
Day 1
Intro; what sentence diagramming is; why it is important
Define noun, verb, pronoun, adjective, adverb, and preposition
How to diagram sentences with a combination of nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions
Day 2
Review
How to diagram implicit “you,” interjections, and adverbs modifying adjectives or adverbs
Practice diagramming sentences with a combination of nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions
Day 3
Review prepositions and prepositional phrases
Identify prepositions, prepositional phrases, and the part of speech the phrase has
Day 4
Define compound element (compound noun, compound verb, compound sentence, etc.)
Define transitive verb, linking verb, direct object, indirect object
How to diagram sentences containing compound elements, transitive verbs, and linking verbs (as well as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases)
Day 5
Review
Practice diagramming sentences containing compound elements, transitive verbs, and linking verbs (as well as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases)
Week 2
Day 1
Review
Identify adverbs and adverbial clauses
How to diagram sentences containing adverbial clauses (and sentences containing what we have learned to this point)
Day 2
Review
Practice diagramming sentences containing adverbial clauses (and sentences containing what we have learned to this point)
Day 3
Review
Identify adjectives and adjective clauses
How to diagram sentences containing adjective clauses (and sentences containing what we have learned to this point)
Day 4
Review
Practice diagramming sentences containing adjective clauses (and sentences containing what we have learned to this point)
Day 5
Review
Practice diagramming everything we have learned
And more grammar, time permitting.
Objectives
1. To recognize some parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition.
2. To diagram simple sentences of subject and verb only.
3. To diagram sentences containing subject, verb, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases.
4. To know what a compound noun, compound verb, and other compound sentence element is.
5. To know what a transitive verb is.
6. To know what a direct object is.
7. To know what a linking verb is.
8. To be able to diagram sentences containing transitive verbs and linking verbs.
9. To be able to diagram sentences containing nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and direct objects.
10. To identify adverbs and adverbial clauses.
11. To diagram complex sentences containing adverbial clauses.
12. To identify adjectives and adjective clauses.
13. To diagram complex sentences containing adjective clauses.
14. To learn a bit about definitions and concepts.
15. 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.