Diagramming Sentences

• The ability to diagram the sentences
demonstrates the knowledge of sentence parts.
• By identifying sentences, you can examine
whether each sentence you write is complete.
• By analyzing sentence structure you can create
more diverse and dynamic sentences in your
writing.
2

3
Diagramming Sentences
• We can diagram a sentence to show its
structure, and to see how its parts are
related.
We can diagram sentence
a

Subject Predicate
Lets start !
4
Simple Sentence Pattern

5
Start with a horizontal line.
• Write the simple subject and verb on the
line.
• Artists paint.
Artists paint
• Separate them with a vertical line that
crosses the base line.

6
Another example:
• Birds sing.
• Write the simple subject and verb on the
line.
• Separate them with a vertical line that
crosses the base line.
Birds sing

• She sang.
She sang
• Look!
(you) look
9

• Juanita and Celso worked and rested.
Juanita worked
Celso rested
10
and
and

1. She sang.
2. They work.
3. Run!
4. Ladies gossips.
5. We walked.
11

Subject Verb Direct Object
Next ……
13
Direct Object Pattern

Artists paint
•Artist paint pictures.
•What do artist paint?
•Write the direct object after the verb.
•Draw a vertical separator which stops at
the line.
14
What if there is a direct
object?
pictures

15
Have you noticed?
• The vertical line that
separates the subject
from the verb crosses
the base line.
Artists paint pictures
• The vertical line that
separates the verb
from the direct object
stops at the base line.

• Mother told story.
Mother told story
• We gave flower.
We gave flower
17
Another Example

1. Tashonda sent e-mail.
2. Jocelyn cooked breakfast.
3. Mrs. Doubtfire gave assignment.
4. Johnny painted jalopy.
5. Terminita hates broccoli.
6. Rizal made novels.
7. Aunt Polly punished Tom.
8. We read book. 18
Your turn !

1. Tashonda sent e-mail
2. Jocelyn cooked breakfast
3. Mrs. Doubtfire gave assignment
4. Johnny painted jalopy.
19
Answers :

5. Terminita hates broccoli
6.Rizal made novels
7.Aunt Polly punished Tom
8. We read book
20
..

Lets begin .. 
21
Indirect Object
Indirect Object
(x)

Mrs. Licaros gave quizzes
•Mrs. Licaros gave Samantha quizzes.
•To whom Mrs. Licaros gave the quizzes?
•Write the indirect object under the verb.
•Draw a slant line and horizontal line.
22
What if there is an Indirect
Object ?
Samantha

• Mother told me story.
Mother told story
• John brought me chocolates.
John brought chocolates
• Tita sent us photo.
Tita sent photo
24
More …
me
me
us

1. Carla gave David a book.
2. Scientist gave student lecture.
3. She gave me flowers.
4. I wrote Lindsay a note.
5. Professor Haggins gave student project.
25
Diagram the following.

1. Carla gave book
2. Scientist gave lecture
3. She gave flowers
26
Key ..
David
students
me

4. I wrote note
5. Professor Haggins gave projects
27
…
Lyndsay
students

S P D.O O.C
• S- Subject
• P- Predicate
• D.O- Direct Object
• O.C- Objective Complement
28
Objective Complement

We called firemen heroes
•We called firemen heroes.
•An object complement follows a direct object.
•It renames or describes the direct object.
•An object complement is often a noun, a pronoun or an
adjective.
•When you diagram a sentence with an object compliment,
write it on the base line after the direct object, separated
by a slanted line. 29
Objective Complement..

• Roof kept family warm.
Roof kept family warm
• Louise found the test difficult.
Louise found test difficult
30
More ..

• Jen make soup spicy.
Jen make soup spicy
• We name our baby Alice
We name baby Alice
32
Another Example..
our

1. I painted my room red.
2. Research showcases papers collection.
3. The club elected Tashonda president.
4. Johnny painted his jalopy purple.
5. The course made Alex genius.
33
Quiz….

1. I painted room red
2. Research showcases papers collection
3. club elected Tashonda president
4. Johnny painted jalopy purple
34
Answer . 

5. course made Alex genius
That’s ALL !
35
……………

Subject Linking Verb Subjective
Complement
36
Subject Complement

I am happy
•I am happy.
•A subject complement follows a linking verb.
•It describes or renames the subject.
• When you diagram a sentence, the subject complement is
written on the baseline, separated from the predicate by a slanted
line.
37
Subject Complements..

38
Subject Complements
• Tweety is yellow.
Tweety
subject
is
verb
yellow
Subject complement
• It is a complement, not a direct object.

39
Linking verbs
• Tweety is yellow.
Tweety
subject
is
verb
yellow
Subject complement
Because the complement describes the
subject, the dividing line tilts back
toward the subject.

40
Any questions regarding
Subject Complements

41
Try another sentence.
• Sylvester is cat.
Sylvester is cat
• Cat = renames Sylvester.
• Cat = predicate noun.

1. They are late
2. Cockatiels are parrots
3. I am walrus
4. Coyote was hungry
43
Answer ..

5. Jeremy was jerk
6. Kiwi is smart
7. Bear is popular
8. Parrots are pets
44
………….

9. Cockatiels are friendly
10. Teddy Roosevelt was president
45
&&^^.

46
ADJECTIVES and ADVERBS
Adjective
Adverb
Adjective

47
What if we describe the subject?
• Talented artists paint.
• “Talented” describes “artists.”
• Write it on a diagonal line below the word
it describes.
artists paint
Talented

48
What if we describe the verb?
• Talented artists paint well.
• “Well” describes how they paint.
• Write it on a diagonal line below the word
it describes.
Artists paint
Talented
well

49
What if we describe the direct object?
• Talented artists paint realistic pictures well.
• What kind of pictures do artists paint?
• “Realistic” describes “pictures.”
• Write it on a diagonal line under “pictures.”
Artists paint
Talented
well
pictures
realistic

• The boy ate quickly.
boy ate
The blue chair broke.
chair broke
50
The
The
blue
quickly

• My family often hosts parties.
family hosts parties
• Cold winds howled noisily.
winds howled
51
More …
My
often
Cold
noisily

1. glaciers melt
2. girl laughed
3. dog barked
53
The
The
The
scary
loudly

4. snail crawled
5. cat purrs
54
An
ugly
slow
ly
The
big
black

55
6. everyone was seated
7. visited ended
Soon
comfortably
The
early

8. Dawnson greeted guest
9. Lopezes Had been
56
The
warmly
their
the
there
before

10. fans watched race
57
Those
happy
a
great

• An appositive is a noun or pronoun that
identifies another noun or pronoun in the
sentence.
• Any noun or pronoun may have an
appositive.
• To diagram a sentence with an appositive,
place the appositive immediately after the
word it identifies, and set it off in
parentheses. 58
Appositive….

• A California stagecoach driver, Charley
Parkhurst, had a secret.
driver (Charley Parkhurst) had secret
59
APPOSITIVE (subject)
A
Californiastagecoach

• Legends describe that colorful character,
Charley Parkhurst.
(Charley
Legend describe character Parkhust)
60
APPOSITIVE (D.O)
that
colorful

• An appositive phrase is composed of an
appositive and all the words that modify it.
• To diagram a sentence with an appositive
phrase, write the appositive within
parentheses immediately after the word
identified, and place the modifiers on slant
lines under the appositive rather than
under the word identified.
61
APPOSITIVE PHRASES

• Parkhurst, a fearless driver, could handle any
horse.
Parkhurst (driver) could handle horse
62
Appositive Phrases
a
fearless

Charley (man) became voter
•Charley, the pretend man, became the first
woman voter.
63
Another Example…
the
pretend
the
first
woman

1. Charley Parkhurst was really Charlotte
Parkhurst, an orphan.
2. Fifteen-year-old Charlotte, a tall, strong girl,
left an unfriendly orphanage.
3. She took a man’s job, stable hand.
4. She took a man’s name, Charley.
5. Her one vice, tobacco, gave Charley cancer.
64
Your Turn !

1. Charley Charley
Parkhust was Parkhust (orphan)
2. Charlotte (girl) left orphanage
65
Key 
really
an
Fifteen-year-
old
a
tall
strong
an
unfriendly

3. She took job (hand)
4. She took name (Charley)
5. vice (tobacco) gave cancer
66
a
m
an’s
stable
a
m
an’s
Her
one
Charley

• A preposition is a word that indicates how a noun or
pronoun relates to some other word in its sentence.
Examples include before, throughout, and with.
• Some prepositions are made up of more than one word,
such as in front of and except for.
• A prepositional phrase is made up of a preposition, its
object, and any modifiers of the object.
• Examples of prepositional phrases are “before the
storm,” “during heavy rain,” and “in front of an old barn.”
• Prepositional phrases may act as adjectives or as
adverbs. 67
Prepositional Phrases

68
What if there is a prepositional phrase?
• Talented artists paint realistic pictures of people.
• What do artists paint pictures of?
• “Of people” describes the pictures.
• Write it on a frame under “pictures.”
Artists paint
Talented pictures
realistic
people
of

69
Try a different prepositional phrase.
• Talented artists paint realistic pictures on canvas.
• Where do artists paint pictures? “on canvas.”
• How, when, and where describe verbs.
• Write it on a frame under “paint.”
Artists paint
Talented
pictures
realistic
canvas
on

• Used as Adjectives
• To diagram a prepositional phrase used as an
adjective, place the preposition on a slant line below
the noun or pronoun modified.
• Place the object of the preposition on a horizontal line
connected to the slant line and lying at its right.
• The slant line should extend slightly beyond the
horizontal line.
• If the object of the preposition has modifiers, write
them on slant lines below the object. 70
(Adjective)

• FOR EXAMPLE :
- Most people in Emma’s class like rock music.
people like music
71
(Adjective)
M
ost
in
class
Em
m
a’s
rock

• A prepositional phrase used as an adverb is
diagramed the same way as one used as an
adjective.
• Study this model of a prepositional phrase used to
modify a verb.
• The preposition is placed on the slant line and its
object is placed on the adjoining horizontal line.
• Note that the phrase is placed beneath the verb
modified.
72
(adverb)

• The science lab was displayed on Parents’
Night.
- lab was displayed
73
(adverb)
The
science
on
Parents’ Night

1. The young man jumped on the boat.
2. A happy dog ran down the street.
3. The children climbed up the stairs.
4. Anna rode the bus on Friday.
5. We entered the room through the window.
6. In the attic they found a dusty trunk.
7. Huck overheard a conversation between two
men.
74
Your Turn !

8. Tom was exploring the cave with Becky.
9. The two of them were lost in the cave.
10. Mrs. Sanchez wrote precise instructions on
the chalkboard.
5………….4……..3…..2…1..
75

1. man jumped
2. dog run
76
Key :
The
young
on
boat
the
A happy
dow
n stairs
the

3. children climbed
4. Anna rode bus
77
Key :
The
up
stairs
the
on
Friday
the

5. We entered room
6. they found trunk
78
Key :
through
window
the
the
in
attic
the
a
dusty

7. Hucked overhead conversation
8. Tom was exploring cave
79
Key :
a
betw
een
men
tw
o
w
ith
Becky
the

9. two were lost
10. Mrs. Sanchez wrote instruction
80
Key :
The
of
them
in
cave
the
on
chalkboard
the
precise

• A clause is a group of words that has a subject and a predicate and
is used as a part of a sentence.
• A main, or independent clause can also stand alone in a simple
sentence.
• A subordinate, or dependent clause cannot stand alone.
• A compound sentence has two or more main clauses and no
subordinate clauses.
• The clauses are joined by a semicolon or by a comma and a
conjunction.
• In a diagram of a compound sentence, each independent clause is
diagramed separately; then the clauses are connected.
• The type of connection used depends on whether the clauses are
joined by a semicolon or a conjunction. 81
Compound Sentence

• Clauses Connected by a Semicolon
• When two main clauses in a compound sentence are
joined by a semicolon, first diagram the clauses
separately in the order in which they appear in the
sentence.
• Then draw a vertical dotted line between the verbs of
the clauses, as shown here.
82
Compound Sentences

Subject verb Main
Clause#1
Subject verb Main
Clause#2
83
Compound Sentences
(Semi-colon)

• Folktales are always popular; you have
probably heard many of them.
folktales are popular
you have heard many
84
Compound Sentences
(Semi-colon)
alw
ays
probably
of
them

• When the main clauses in a compound
sentence are connected by a conjunction such
as and, but, or or, first diagram each clause
separately.
• Next, write the conjunction on a solid horizontal
line between the two main clauses.
• Last, draw vertical dotted lines to connect that
solid line to the verb of each clause, as shown
in this example.
85
Compound Sentences
(Conjunction)

Subject verb Main
Clause#1
Subject verb Main
Clause#2
86
Compound Sentences
(Conjunction)
Conj.

• Do you like scary stories, or do they give you
nightmares?
you Do like stories
they do give nightmares
87
Compound Sentences
(Conjunction)
scaryor
you

1. Some folktales have been told for generations;
many different versions exist.
2. In many tales, animals talk; they stand for
humans.
3. In some tales, the animals are wise; in others,
they are selfish.
4. Writers in various countries have made
collections of folktales; the Grimm brothers are
among these writers. 88
Your Turn 

5. In very old English tales, Grendel was a
terrible monster, and his mother was equally
horrible.
6. Grendel terrorized the countryside, but finally
the hero Beowulf stopped him.
7. Evan ran in the race, but he lost.
8. My puppy is the runt, but she is cute, and she
eats her food.
89

9. Susan laughed, yet Kelva was quiet.
10. John likes pie, but Theresa likes cake.
………..
90

1. folktales have been told
version exist
91
Key 
Som
e
for
generation
m
any
different

2. animals talk
they stand
92
Key 
In
tales
m
any
for
humans

3. animals are wise
they are foolish
93
Key 
the In tales
som
e
in
others

4. Writers have made collection
brothers are
94
Key 
in
countries
various
of folktales
the
G
rim
m
am
ong writers
these

5. Grendel was monster
mother was horrible
95
Key 
and
In tales
a
terrible
English
old
very
his
equally

6. Grendel terrorized countryside
hero (Beowulf) stopped him
96
Key 
but
the
the
finally

7. Evan ran
he lost
97
Key 
but
in
race
the

8. puppy is runt
she is cute
she eats food
98
Key 
M
y
but
and
her

9. Susan laughed
Kelva was quiet
99
Key 
yet

10. John likes pie
Theresa likes cake
100
Key 
but

• A clause is a group of words that has a subject and a predicate
and is used as part of a sentence.
• A main, or independent clause can stand alone in a simple
sentence.
• A subordinate, or dependent clause cannot stand alone.
• There are three types of subordinate clauses: adjective, adverb,
and noun clauses.
• A complex sentence has one main clause and one or more
subordinate clauses.
• The diagram of a complex sentence depends on the type of
subordinate clause it includes.
101
Complex Sentences

• An adjective clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a
noun or pronoun in the main clause. Most adjective clauses are
introduced by relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, that, and
which).
• Always begin the diagram of a complex sentence by
diagraming the independent clause, even if it comes
second in the sentence.
• Then diagram the subordinate clause separately, placing it
below the main clause.
• Finally, connect the two clauses. To connect a main clause
and an adjective clause that begins with a relative pronoun,
draw a dotted line between the introductory pronoun and the
word in the main clause that the adjective clause modifies.
102
Complex Sentences
(adjective clause)

• Geologists are scientists who study rocks.
Geologist are scientist
who study rocks
103
Complex Sentences
(adjective clause)

104
Complex Sentences
(adjective clause)

105
Build a new sentence.
• Hamsters run.
Hamsters run

106
Describe the hamsters.
Energetic hamsters run.
Hamsters run
Energetic

107
Where do hamsters run?
Energetic hamsters run on wheels.
Hamsters run
Energetic
on
wheels
Prepositional
phrase

108
What kind of wheels?
Energetic hamsters run on exercise wheels.
Hamsters run
Energetic
on
wheels
exercise
“exercise” describes wheels

109
Practice another sentence.
• Hamsters eat.
Hamsters eat

110
What do hamsters eat?
• Hamsters eat seeds.
Hamsters eat seeds
“Seeds” is the direct object.
It follows the verb, after a vertical separator.

111
What kind of seeds?
• Hamsters eat sunflower seeds.
Hamsters eat seeds
“Sunflower” describes “seeds.”
Write it on a diagonal line under “seeds.”
sunflow
er

112
Have you noticed?
• Only subjects, verbs, and objects
• Go on the horizontal line.
• Words that describe them go below them
on diagonal lines.
Monkeys eat bananas
Hungry
sweet
in
trees
the

113
Add more description.
• Poor Sylvester is a frustrated predator.
Sylvester is predator
a
Poor
frustrated
• Predator = renames Sylvester.
• Predator = predicate noun.

114
Other linking verbs
• The pot of brains smells suspiciously rancid.
pot smells rancid
of
The
suspiciously
brains
• Rancid = describes the pot.
• Rancid = predicate adjective.

Diagramming Sentences

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