Sentence Diagramming

Sentence Diagramming Sentence diagramming is a way of visually understanding the structure of a sentence. Every type of word in the English language has a special way of being diagrammed!

Sentence Diagramming The most basic form of a sentence diagram looks like this: The subject goes on the left and the predicate (verb) goes on the right. Example: Artists paint. Artists paint (subject) (predicate)

Sentence Diagramming Simple Subjects and Predicates (Verbs): Musicians play Musicians play. Dogs are barking Dogs are barking. Mrs. Mitchell has been reading Mrs. Mitchell has been reading. You do dance Do you dance?

Sentence Diagramming Compound Subjects: Birds fly Birds and butterflies fly. and butterflies John have been flirting John and Suzy have been flirting. and Suzy Bob will play Bob or Bill will play. or Bill Matt Are talking Are Matt and Mindy talking? and Mindy

Sentence Diagramming Compound Predicates (Verbs): fly Birds Birds fly and soar. and soar swam We We swam and surfed. and surfed will sink He He will sink or swim. or (will) swim Do study You Do you study or cram? or cram

Sentence Diagramming What happens when you have a compound subject AND a compound predicate? Maggie and Rusty smiled and waved. Maggie smiled and and Rusty waved

Sentence Diagramming And what do you do with words that modify? (Like adjectives, adverbs, articles, possessive pronouns, etc.) Place them on a slanted line below the word they modify. Many famous athletes practice regularly. athletes practice Many regularly famous The marathon runner moves very quickly. runner moves The marathon quickly very

Sentence Diagramming And what do you do with words that modify? (Like adjectives, adverbs, articles, possessive pronouns, etc.) Place them on a slanted line below the word they modify. Now you try: The good students always study hard. students study always The good hard

Sentence Diagramming What about objects and subject complements? Subject Complements: Draw a slanted line that does not cross the horizontal line after the verb. (subject) (subject complement) (linking verb) There are TWO types of subject complements: Predicate Nouns and Predicate Adjectives

Sentence Diagramming Subject Complements Predicate Adjective: marker is green The marker is green. the caves can be scary Dark caves can be scary. Dark Concerts are exciting Concerts are very exciting. very

Sentence Diagramming Subject Complements Predicate Noun: They are students They are students. explorers are spelunkers Cave explorers are spelunkers. Cave He will become president He will become the next president. the next

Sentence Diagramming What about objects and subject complements? Direct Objects: Draw a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line after the verb. They are eating pizza (subject) (direct object) (predicate)

Sentence Diagramming Direct Objects Now you try… waves battered shore Awesome waves battered the shore. the Awesome sister stole doll My sister stole my favorite doll. My my favorite

Sentence Diagramming Compound Direct Objects Compound direct objects: CD a Tim bought a CD and a shirt. Tim bought and shirt a soup some Did you order some soup and a salad? You did order and salad a

Sentence Diagramming What about objects and subject complements? Indirect Objects: Write an indirect object below the verb, on a horizontal line connected to the verb with a slanted line. (predicate) Mike gave Sally his book. (direct object) (subject) Mike gave book his Sally (indirect object)

Sentence Diagramming Indirect Objects Now you try… Lisa gives attention Lisa gives school her full attention. her full school JB did sing song Did JB sing the girl a song? a girl the

Sentence Diagramming