Red Pen: A Grammar Podcast

You asked for questions, so here you go: I’m revamping my copy editing class for the spring. On what five grammar issues would you recommend budding copy editors spend time focusing?

I like the show, it’s funny. But Mike uses “sort of” too much.

This podcast is a delight — interesting, informative, fun and a bit unpredictable. And there’s not a single minute that I “wait through” to get to the good stuff — it’s ALL GOOD! Even the music choices — quirkily relevant , playful and thoughtful — not your standard podcast filler music. Thank you for this intelligent, well-researched program. Clearly you are enjoying what you’re doing, and it’s a pleasure to hang out with you guys.

I’m loving the podcast in so many ways. Thank you! I wondered if you’d ever do an episode about sentence diagramming. Whenever I listen to you, I visually diagram in my head the sentences you’re discussing, just as I did on a blackboard in elementary school eons ago. But I know this method of teaching grammar is out of fashion and not used anymore. For me personally, I couldn’t imagine making sense of grammatical structures without this mental tool. (Plus it’s fun!) You’re both much younger than me, so I wonder: we’re you ever taught to diagram sentences? If not, did you pick it up later? Or do you really not need it? In short, what’s your take (if you have one) on sentence diagramming?