Tree Diagramming

Pictorial representation of the gramatical structure of a sentence.

The model is informative about the relations between words and the nature of syntactic structure and is thus used as a tool to help predict when sentences are and are not possible.

Linear Order

The words in a sentence must occur in a particular sequence if the sentence is to convey the desired meaning.

Charley jumped off the roof.
The roof jumped off Charley.

Constituency Ordering

Every word in the sentence corresponds in a 1-to-1-or-more relationsihp with other words in the sentence.

If it is a consitituent, it can be replaced by a question using "who, what, where, how, why, or do/did what.

Very few lawyers tell the truth in court.
The lawyers---the truth
Very few lawyers saw what?
Who seldomly tells the truth in court?

Phrasal Categories- A set o constituents that behave the same, or share the same functions and distritbution

VP- Verb Phrase
(Can be a verb, a verb and an adverb, can be a verb, a coun phrase, and a prepositional phrase.)

NP- Noun Phrease
(Can be a signle word, can be the subject, can be the direct or indriect object.)

AdjP- Adjective Phrase
(Can be an ajective only, or an adjective plus an adverb, can movdify nouns.)

AdvP- Adverbial Phrase
(Can be used to modify verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.)

PP- Prepositional Phrase
(Preposition and a Noun Phrase.)

S- Sentence

Noam Chomsky

He first proposed this theory in the 1970's

Pro's and Con's

PRO's
-Moves thinking from general to specific.
-Helps develope logical steps to obtain specific results.
-Helps students understand and remember the parts of speech more easily.
-Helps students identify parts of speech in relation to their placement in the sentence

Cons
-Can confuse children by relating so many different parts of speeches to one another
-Can be unhelpful if student doesn't understand one part of speech
-Can be intimidating to students because method is so complex
-Can confuse visual learners if abbreviations are used rather than using the actual word (Eg. VP instead of Verb Phrase)

Searle, John R. Chomsky's Revolution in Linguistics. The New York Review of Books. Jume 29, 1972. Online

Duffy, Grace L. "Tree Diagrams." Quality Progress 45.4 (2012): 28-29. Academic Search complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2013

Chomsky, Noam. Aspects of the theory of syntax. 1965. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT press

Chomsky, Noam. Three models for the description of language. 1965. Retrieved from htt;://www.chomsky.info/articles/195609.pdf

1. Determine the parts of speech for each word in the sentence

2. Each word (part of speech) can be classified as either a NOUN PHRASE or a VERB PHRASE

3. The NOUN and VERB PHRASE + PARTS OF SPEECH make up the sentence

NOTE: Tree diagramming typically classifies each part of speech as either a noun phrase or a verb phrase

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1a: Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in speciic sentences

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1c: Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers*