>Having done a little sketching of an alternative diagram for >passives, I find it difficult to find a satisfactory alternative >using a Reed-Kellogg format. Is such an major inconsistency good reason >for abandoning the system altogether? Are there any good reasons for >using the system at all? > > I'm sure many people would say the Reed-Kellogg format if not diagramming in general should be tossed out for many reasons, but I would disagree. In particular, I think the inconsistency you point out (and that I can' explain either!) is no reason to toss out the whole thing. First, I'm not sure it's a "major" inconsistency in terms of the effects on students; it may not send an appropriate message, but I can't tell that my grammar students are confused about questions, underlying sentences, or surface structures because of this inconsistency. Second, I think if there's a problem w/ any system (and they all have them) the problem should be addressed rather than discarding the system. By addressing, perhaps there could be a modification, or-as I find myself doing--simply telling students that the system is flawed in some ways, thereby alerting them to the fact that there is a problem. Larry Beason,Director English Composition Program Dept. of English Eastern Washington University Cheney WA 99004 [log in to unmask] WAC Page: http://ewu66649.ewu.edu/WAC.html