A recent essay exploring the methodical practice of sentence diagramming has struck a chord with readers, prompting reflections on grammar, pedagogy, and the evolving rules of written English.
Catherine Walter of Kingsville, Maryland, responded to Robert Klose’s Oct. 12 essay in The Home Forum, titled “My life sentence? Diagramming.” Walter shared her own affinity for the exercise, attributing her appreciation to the logic of the practice and a family background that included several English teachers. However, she also raised questions about contemporary language trends, asking whether diagramming would prove more difficult today and lamenting perceived shifts in modern usage, such as the omission of prepositions in phrases like “a couple cats.” She also questioned contemporary social norms surrounding grammar correction.
Another reader, Joan Mikkelsen of Berkeley, California, expressed appreciation for the essayist’s work, writing that the piece on sentence diagramming brought back fond memories of eagerly tackling grammatical structures during elementary school.
