Grammar games can add some needed zest to your English grammar instruction. Looking for a new game? Try diagramming sentences! Seriously, your students will think that it's fun. There are a few ways that you can turn sentence diagramming into a classroom game.

1. Competitive Sentence Diagramming

Most students love a chance to get up to the whiteboard and show their skills. After teaching students some basic sentence diagramming, have them split up into teams. Write a sentence on the whiteboard. Students then work as a team to diagram the sentence. Teams earn points based on the accuracy of their diagram and the amount of time that it took them to complete the diagram.

One teacher I interviewed who teaches middle school English had this to say about competitive sentence diagramming:
"I have discovered that students LOVE to compete at sentence diagramming - even if they are not very good at it."

He even started a sentence diagramming club since the kids loved it so much.

2. Diagramming Puzzles
I like to make little sentence diagramming puzzles for students to solve. First, think of a good sentence to diagram. Then, make clues for the diagram. Make your clues similar to the clues in a crossword puzzle. Next, the students have to use the clues to guess the sentence and diagram it. It's great fun for all!

Here is an example:

Clue #1: This sentence is a famous slogan for Nike.
Clue #2: It is an imperative sentence. That means that it is giving a command.
Clue #3: It has only three words.
(Answer: "Just do it.")

3. Diagram Famous Quotes

Who doesn't love a good quote? Diagramming quotes is a great way to integrate other lessons into your English grammar class. You can use quotes from a literature book that your students are reading or from a famous person living during a period in history that you are studying. It's fun to integrate topics. Write out the quote and have the students diagram it, or diagram it as a class.

Don't Remember How to Diagram a Sentence?

Most likely, you have no idea how to diagram sentences. It's okay. I have started a whole website devoted to teaching grammar with diagrams.

The site includes free lessons, exercises, and diagrams so you can keep one step ahead of your students!

Learn more about English grammar and sentence diagramming at http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com.

You'll find diagramming puzzles, exercises, and lessons.

Check out the grammar games page http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/grammar-games.html

Play games and have fun!