Breaking down sentences when reading for clarity

If we break down difficult texts by marking using a pen or the / key on a computer, we can make texts easier to understand:

It is only a simple / mark, but it helps us to understand sentences quicker and easier:

Here is a text from: http://news.bbc.co.uk

"China has been staging mass celebrations to mark 60 years since the Communist Party came to power."

Break it down:

"China/ has been staging/ mass celebrations/ to mark 60 years/ since the Communist Party/ came to power."

China

has been staging  (holding)

mass celebrations (very big celebrations)

to mark 60 years (to recognise 60 years)

since (from the time)

the Communist Party

came to power (became the government)

Breaking down sentences can help us understand and learn.

It would be a lot of work to do this with all our reading. But for complex texts I think it is a useful technique.

Bye for now

Alan