The Power of Language
“A knowledge of grammar should be a means of enhancing the power of language - this marvellous instrument of union between man and man, between generation and generation; and by enhancing its power it should enlarge our understanding, deepen and intensify our thoughts and appreciation, and quicken our emotions and sympathy.” (Isabel Fry, from the introduction of A Key To Language: A Method of Grammatical Analysis By Means of Graphic Symbols, 1925)
As an antodote to the prevalent dry and mechanical approach to teaching grammar, Isabel devised her own method. The use of symbols for analysis was at the heart of it. These symbols, she believed, would develop both an understanding of structure and an instinctual feel for meaning.
The image shows an advanced example of Isabel’s symbolic grammar method, containing many sentences within it. The basic starting point revolved around spotting the subject of the sentence (underlined) and the ‘happening word’ or phrase related to it (underlined and placed on the right of the subject). The idea was that by using symbols, relationships between words and sentences became clearer. The principles could also be applied to study in other languages.