Sentence Structure

The Grammar Key Sentence Structure
and Parts of Speech CD

The Sentence Structure and Parts of Speech CD offers over thirty narrated lessons covering the parts of speech and includes reviews and challenging sentences to meet every student’s need.

Each lesson begins with a review of the "KEY" and the specific questions it asks. Then, after a narrated text, students are given matching questions to ensure they understand the information provided in the lesson. Next, they are introduced to sentences where they must demonstrate their understanding by labeling specific words. If students make a mistake, the program will inform them at that precise moment and offer them clues to work toward the right answer.

Although The Grammar Key requires students to identify the right answer before they can move on to the next sentence, it still displays a final grade at the end of that lesson from the number of mistakes made. This not only ensures 100% mastery of all work performed, but saves you, the teacher or parent, from having to check the answers.

Learning to diagram sentences is easy with the Grammar Key

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What’s the difference between The Grammar Key Sentence Structure & Parts of Speech and The Grammar Key Punctuation & Mechanics?

It might be helpful to examine the punctuation error in this sample sentence:

"When students know the structure of a sentence and the parts of speech they have no problem grasping the rules of punctuation."

In order to know where the comma goes in this sentence, you must first know what a clause is (has a subject and verb), what an introductory clause is (a dependent clause that comes at the beginning of a sentence), and finally what a main clause is (a subject and verb that stands alone). THIS IS WHAT WE TEACH IN THE GRAMMAR KEY STANDARD CD-ROM.

You must also know the punctuation rule that states a comma always follows an introductory clause before the main clause begins. THIS IS WHAT WE TEACH IN THE GRAMMAR KEY PUNCTUATION & MECHANICS CD-ROM.

Then the answer is simple:

"When students know the structure of a sentence and the parts of speech, they have no problem grasping the rules of punctuation."

Of course, there are plenty of exercises that follow the introduction of each new concept or rule.

Why Teach Grammar on a Computer?

Since grammar is systematic, it can be taught on a computer, and since a computer never gets tired, it can repeat those key words and grammatical patterns to the extent that they become internalized in the students’ minds.

When internalized, these words and patterns work as road signs, revealing the direction each sentence should take. If students hear, speak, read, or write the word “When” at the beginning of a sentence, they will intuit where the sentence is going. They will know without thinking that an introductory clause will follow the word “When”, that a comma will follow the introductory clause, and that a main clause will follow the comma: “When” students internalize those key words and grammatical patterns, they will begin to write effortlessly.

Like a jigsaw puzzle, as more words and patterns become internalized, the image of their writing will become clearer and clearer.

With thirty or forty students in a class, most teachers do not have time to repeat these words and patterns to the degree that they need to be repeated.

A computer can.