This paper reviews two studies examining the use of sentence diagramming and isolated grammar instruction in English classrooms. Drawing on Landecker (2009) and Sipe (2006), the review assesses competing perspectives on whether diagramming exercises help students understand sentence structure and improve their writing. While Landecker's study highlights student enthusiasm and active engagement generated by a competitive diagramming format, Sipe's study cautions that such exercises may consume instructional time without producing measurable writing improvement. The paper concludes with a null hypothesis stating that diagramming classes have no effect on students' learning of basic English sentence structure.
Landecker (2009) examines the teaching methods of a professor who teaches sentence diagramming to her students. The technique is no longer common in English classes, making the professor's approach quite distinctive. The students, however, show great enthusiasm for the practice and are able to break down the structure of complex sentences with skill. They do so in a competitive manner as part of the professor's overall assessment of their abilities: students must partake in a competitive diagramming game in which one half of the class competes against the other half, and points are deducted for sentence diagramming errors.
The study indicates that this method is helpful for promoting participation and enthusiasm in the classroom. Its narrative structure does not, however, provide any indication as to whether the exercises affect the students' ability to craft a well-written sentence, as the professor grades the contest "only for participation in the slam" and not on actual merit (Landecker, 2009, p. 11). Nonetheless, it is clear that the students do learn the parts of speech and how they should be used. What remains unclear is the extent to which diagramming impacts their overall ability to write.
This study will be helpful to the present research because it shows that diagramming can be a positive method of teaching sentence structure. The students are clearly engaged and active in their learning, suggesting genuine enthusiasm for the subject. If anything, the study dispels the notion that learning sentence structure via diagramming is boring or impractical in today's classrooms — the professor in this study generates a great deal of excitement. This study will therefore be used to demonstrate that grammar instruction through diagramming is still being practiced and that students are responding favorably to it.
"Study questioning the value of isolated grammar exercises"
"Formal null hypothesis statement for the study"
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