Customer Reviews

Grammar by Diagram: Understanding English Grammar Through Traditional Sentence Diagramming

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is perhaps the clearest and most useful guide to grammar, usage, and (especially) punctuation that I have come across. It is valuable as a reference even to graduate students who already write well.

I might add that the typography and layout of this book is also a work of art.

I am left wondering why I was not taught English using the diagraming technique. It is an excellent tool for developing understanding. I am also left wondering what a book by this same author about paragraph structure would be like. I would love to see it.

This book is highly recommended.

I attended parochial grade school and diagramming was a significant part of my grammar education. I don't remember if I loved it or hated it, but I learned grammar. Sometime in the spring I saw a reference to this book. I teach ESL Level 2 of 6 and thought it might offer a more visual approach. I began working my way through the book. Okay, I must have liked diagramming (I like puzzles) because I spent long hours working my way through the book, diagramming the sentences and having repeated light bulb moments about the patterns and structure of English. I had no idea that 'yes' and 'no' were adverbs, but now I know and it makes sense. I am enthused at how my students have taken to this approach.

Although sentence diagramming may not seem to be the most hotrod thing to do on a Saturday afternoon, if you need to shore up your grammar for the purposes of a class, teaching or writing, Vitto's book is an superlative assistant in developing your skills. It would make an excellent addition to the library of any teacher of English, writing or basic skills from the elementary to the college level, and would be particularly helpful in developing grammar related lesson plans.

Grammar, pardon me aficionados, is never FUN in my eyes, but this book makes it much more palatable, and even (mildly! let's not be too geeky about this) entertaining in its challenges.

first point - this is the workbook, not the textbook. amazon has really mucked this up. get both.

further note - if you use the isbn number, amazon shows you the textbook, but no way to buy it. the other formats link takes you to the workbook. go to the publisher - broadview press. the price to buy from them is $46.95.
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this is by far the best grammar book out there. nothing is even close. i spent alot of time searching for good grammar books. i have both the lobeck and the huddleston books. they would be applicable as a second or third book if you want to get serious about in depth linguistics study. 'grammar by diagram' is the book you want to begin with [with which you want to begin]. it covers the basics well without going into mind-numbing detail. other grammars either skip over the basics and jump right into techno-babble or go on and on and on until your eyes glaze. ms vitto explains the concepts clearly and concisely, and then extracts the key points into easy to use forms that aid significantly in the analyses of the sentences.
for those looking for an esl book -- this ain't it. it does not spend page after page asking you to chose between me and mine, do, does and did, etc. she does spend time on the words that give even native speakers problems (eg., putting -ly on the end of adverbs, how to determine between who or whom). however, what she gives the reader is a solid base of knowledge from which to act, whether with just a strong, solid understanding of grammar, or as a launching pad to begin a more intensive study of linguistics.

ps - can i give 6 stars?
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another follow-up: if one should wish to purchase additional publications in this genre, might i recommend:
'descriptive english grammar', by harman and house. get the 2nd edition.
'an advanced english grammar' by kittredge and farley.
there are no answer keys available, but the books are great without them.
harman is in much greater detail, while kittredge is great for definitions of terms and explanation of concepts (especially the subtle distinctions).

The best and most updated one among all books covering grammar diagramming.It also has short exercises after each chapter. Great Value.

This thick, spiral bound volume on high grade paper is structured like a textbook, right down to the Times Roman typeface. Sixteen chapters cover the eight parts of speech, complex / compound sentences, punctuation, common errors in grammar, conjugations, and even additional exercises for which no answers are provided. Lessons have questions with room for answers on the page. Solutions are in the back of the book.

Each chapter is logically laid out. The "Usage Problems Associated with Verbs and Verbals" chapter, for example, covers: "the subjunctive mood and three pairs of commonly misused verbs, ... dangling verbals and elliptical clauses...[and] parallelism [which] requires a clear understanding of all the grammatical structures in this text." Doesn't that sound fun?

This textbook is wonderful for testing your grammar knowledge, or for home-schooling your kids. 6th grade advanced placement level and beyond.

The book revived memories of white chalk on slate blackboards and lessons from nuns in black habits -- a real treat!

I have read and used several books on diagramming. This book is the best I have seen so far. The grammar section at the beginning is thorough. The author even has a quick page on parsing. The text and layout make the book easy to read and use. Everything I have to say is positive. Diagramming with this book's help is an amazing method to see language as more than words thrown together.

I also recommend Rex Barks for additional practice and another way to look at parts of speech. Everything a squirrel can do to a tree is a great way to remember prepositions. Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog makes a nice introduction to diagramming and discusses the history of diagramming, but doesn't really teach it.

Even if I wasn't a homeschooling mom having to teach my daughters grammar I hope I still would have discovered this treasure. The neatness of the grammatical system of the English language is what shines, but Vitto's sparse and accurate text inists on the readers enthusiasm. Fun.

I am using this book in conjunction with Rex Barks: Diagramming Sentences Made Easy by Phyllis Davenport to help me get back up to speed on diagramming. My children are diagramming sentences in school, so I want to help them.

This book has been an effective tool. The exercises are very helpful.

I would recommend it gladly.

I credit this book with my 92% verbal score. It took me four weeks of hard work to work through the book, but I am glad I did. After going through this book, the sentence correction on the GMAT was cake, and this is compared to horrible performances before. Take the time to learn the sentence diagramming techniques, it will change the way you speak, the way you write, and it will improve your grammar.