A study examined the effect of a whole-language-type program for learning sentence structure with high school students in a dropout prevention program. Subjects, 60 students in a Chicago, Illinois public school dropout prevention program, were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group and were administered a diagnostic pre- and posttest on parts of speech and sentence structure. The experimental group was taught by the whole language/TDSSP (TreneD Sentence Pattern Paradigms) method in which one subject-verb paradigm was taught for each of 6 weeks. Results indicated that the treatment made a statistical significance. A review of the literature on whole language occupies the greater part of this paper, preceding the description of the study. Two figures representing aspects of the TreneD Sentence Pattern Paradigms and one table of data are included, and 14 references are attached.) (RS)