Customer Reviews

Grammar & Diagramming Sentences (Advanced Straight Forward English Series)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As a homeschooling mother, I highly recommend this book. It's very thorough in its review of grammar, yet not too hard for my 7th grader. The vocabulary is challenging, so it might be a little difficult for some students who have never done sentence diagramming. For this reason, I would recommend it for upper middle school to high school level. The book provides lots of diagramming practice, in the 3-4 different activities at the end of each chapter and review tests after every other chapter. There is also a brief review of the grammar concept taught, at the end of each chapter. Dr. DeVincentis-Hayes also provides a beginning diagnostic exam and an exit exam/mastery test. There are many diagrammed examples throughout each chapter, and all the answers are in the back of the book. I have to admit, I learned sentence diagramming all over again, at the same time as my son.

As a final comment, my 7th grade son told me recently, "Mom, I have to admit, sentence diagramming is still hard, but I like it! It's like a jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces finally fit together." (Thank you, Dr. De-Vincentis-Hayes.)

I remember verbs and subjects and modifiers from school but I had a hard time putting my thoughts together to form proper sentences. This book has changed that, and now I write with confidence. Kids ought to have this book in their schools, either as their textbook or as a supplement. Of all the books I've picked up on teaching sentence diagramming and writing proper grammar, this is the best. It's not intimidating, and the drills are fun. This is a good buy.

Like everyone else, I've always had problems with figuring out what was right and wrong in grammar, but this book by Dr. Hayes, made understanding sentence structures easy, and even fun. Through learning diagramming, my essays, memos, reports, and other writings have become stronger. I think this is an excellent teaching tool.

Buying and teaching from this book will do your students irreparable harm. The author does not understand sentence structure or verb usage. Most seriously, she confuses active and passive voice with transitive and intransitive verbs. She also privileges passive voice over sentences beginning with expletives, a choice that will result in poorly written essays. Teachers who inherit the students who have learned from this book will have to undo all the damage done by instructing students that, for instance, the verb "to smell" is a passive verb. I have cancelled my course adoption of this book and suggest that others do likewise.

I run an office of about 25 people and I get annoyed at how poorly people talk and write...not that I'm any expert, but when reports and papers go out with my company name on it, or my staff is negotiating verbally under my company name, I want them to write and speak like a professional...not street talk or poor grammar. This slim-lined grammar guidance did the trick. Now everyone in my office has a copy, along with Professor Hayes' other grammar book, "Troublesome Grammar." Many on my staff say both books have been a tremendous help to them.

I needed a book to teach my 11th graders how to put sentences together as well as how to write proper grammanr. I bought several different guides, manuals and textbooks, and also checked out many more on Amanzon, but I couldn't find one that was sleek, easy to read and understand, and yet fun. Then I found Professor Hayes' book and bought a copy to review. I was so pleased that I had the school buy many copies for use in my English classrooms. You won't be disappointed in this work. Thanks, Dr. Hayes.

With my own money, I bought this book as a supplement for all the English classes I teach from 6th-12th grades. I have never, ever found anything so helpful and dynamic as this book. If there are any errors in this book, none were major enough to trouble me as an English teacher. This thin book excplains good grammar in an easy plan, and kids have fun doing the diagramming. I'm hoping our school system will adopt this book. Four thumbs up to Dr. Hayes!

I use this book in my office as a good reference source. It's easy to read, written well enough that complicated eyes are made simple, and provides information as a great resource. Too many textbooks bog users down, but this one was a cinch. Thank you, Dr

Besides an occasional error, this book is what I needed as a home-schooling parent. I searched everywhere for something like this that would make teaching our children the essentials of grammar easy to follow, and at last I found it in Dr. Hayes' book. She teaches diagramming in such a way that anyone of any level of education can learn how to do it, even we adults who may have missed out on it when we went to school. Schools ought to bring sentence diagramming back into the classroom and they should use Dr. Hayes' book as the primary textbook. This is a worthwhile buy!

I'm a writer myself, who-like everyone else-has trouble spots where I'm uncertain what word to use, or if I should be using a modifier near a verb, or if voice is active or passive. I think learning how to diagram sentences is the right direction to go in, and I think every school ought to adopt this well done, straightforward, thin book that yet has all you need to know to learn how to write well. Dr. Hayes has another grammar book out-Troublesome Grammar-that I also use. I'd like to see her make sequels to both texts. I never feel embarrassed now when I write reports.