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en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
Anyhow, I ask because it's something I could revisit along my kids (5 and 8), who otherwise wouldn't learn diagramming in school. (Oddly, early math education now seems to incorporate diagramming.) I'm curious whether there is any significant value in it. For example, can it be helpful when learning other languages? Or might it prove a hindrance? (Both kids take French and Mandarin classes.) Can it help improve analytical reasoning skills, or is it better to just stick with more targeted materials and approaches? I assume sentence diagramming was dropped in favor of more breadth and depth in other subjects areas, and maybe also because it was a drag on English grammar proficiency metrics.
Sentence diagramming takes something intuitive, then makes it complicated and un-fun without any benefit for people learning their first language. Mindless sentence diagramming worksheets are like a quintessential example of the kind of thing that disengages kids from school and distracts them from interesting things they could be learning.
I informally diagram complex sentences in academic writing and textbooks. I find it helpful because the meaning is conveyed not only by the meanings of the words, but also by the structure of the sentences that contain them.
For example, the "not only ... but also ..." construction often links the unfamiliar with the familiar. Or, the "on the one hand ... while on the other ..." signifies contrast, which aids comprehension.
Sentence diagramming gives one a general-purpose toolkit for parsing unfamiliar constructions. The better I understand the structure, the quicker I can get to the meaning.