Diagramming Sentences

A Quick Guide

Do Now

• Identify the main subject and predicate of the following sentence:

I love the smell of bacon in the morning.

Diagramming Sentences

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

We can diagram sentence

a

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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.

Another example:

• Birds are singing.• Write the simple subject and verb on

the line.• Separate them with a vertical line

that crosses the base line.

Birds are singing

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

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

What if there is a direct object?

• What do artists paint?• Talented artists paint pictures well.• Write the direct object after the verb.• Draw a vertical separator which stops at the

line.

Artists paint

Talented

well

pictures

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.

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

picturesrealistic

Practice with these Sentences

1. Several students are writing detailed notes.

2. Some students are texting short messages.

3. Angry principals impose strict rules.4. Extremely hungry stomachs make

growling, groaning noises.

That’s All . . .

• For now

• Next up:• Prepositional phrase

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

picturesrealistic

people

of

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

picturesrealisticcanvas

on

Build a new sentence.

• Hamsters run.

Hamsters run

Describe the hamsters.

Energetic hamsters run.

Hamsters run

Energetic

Where do hamsters run?

Energetic hamsters run on wheels.

Hamsters run

Energetic

onwheels

Prepositional phrase

What kind of wheels?

Energetic hamsters run on exercise wheels.

Hamsters run

Energetic

onwheels

exercise

“exercise” describes wheels

Practice another sentence.

• Hamsters eat.

Hamsters eat

What do hamsters eat?

• Hamsters eat seeds.

Hamsters eat seeds

“Seeds” is the direct object.It follows the verb, after a vertical separator.

What kind of seeds?

• Hamsters eat sunflower seeds.

Hamsters eat seeds

“Sunflower” describes “seeds.”Write it on a diagonal line under “seeds.”

sunflower

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

Practice with these Sentences

1. The busy lunch-ladies slopped a spoonful of food onto the plates.

2. The tiny milk bottles are easy to open.

3. The long involved sentences in Frankenstein are hard to diagram.

That’s All . . .

• For now

• Next up:• Linking words • conjunctions

Linking word--subject

• Tweety bird and sunshine are yellow.Tweety bird

subjects

areverb

yellowSubject complement

Sunshine and

Linking word

When there are two subjects in a sentence, create two subject lines, and link them with a vertical linking word line.

Linking words--verb

• Tweety is yellow but isn’t a coward.Tweetysubject

isverbs

yellow

When there are two verbs connected with a linking word, make two verb lines.

bu tLinking word

isn’t cowarda

Compound Sentences

• Sylvester is a cat but he is not a good mouser.Sylvester is cat

a

A compound sentence is basically two sentences connected by a conjunction. So just connect two diagrams with a conjunction!

He is nota

mousergood

but

Practice with these Sentences

1. Frankenstein and Dracula were hard to read.

2. Stevenson’s book was a hard but a short read.

3. Huck Finn is a book that is easier to read, but it can be offensive.

That’s All . . .

• For now

• Next up:• Noun Clauses• Verbals

What is a Noun Clause

• Check out this sentence:Broccoli is fine with me.

The word broccoli is a noun performing the job of the subject.

• Now look at this sentence:Whatever you want is fine

with me.Now, whatever you want is the

subject! It is a whole clause performing the job of a noun.

Noun Clauses

• Whatever you want is fine with me.

What is a Verbal?

Verbals are words that are formed from verbs but do not act as verbs.

1. Gerunds end with ing and act like nouns.Running is my favorite sport.

2. Participles end in ing, d, t, or n, and they act as adjectives.

I hear running water.3. Infinitives are to + a verb, and they act as nouns,

adjectives, or adverbs.I love to run.

Gerunds

Running is fun.

Participals

Stars sparkling in the night glow.

Infinitives

I love to run.

Practice with these Sentences

1. Twenty minutes of jumping rope is good for your heart.

2. My favorite game is throwing frisbees to my dog.

3. The plants growing near the window need water.

4. The filtered water tastes delicious.5. My goal is to live happily!6. The puppies barked to get my attention.

That’s All . . .

• For now

• Next up:• Clauses• Complex sentences

Adverb Clauses

My mom smiled when I made dinner.

Words like when, although, because, before, if, since, while act like conjunctions , but attach to the verb.

Adjective Clauses

Who, whom, whose, that, which, where, why, and sometimes when also act like conjunctions, but attach to the subject.

I read that the book was great!

I read that

book was great

the

Practice with these Sentences

1. If the weather is nice, I will be happy. 2. Whenever my dog barks, my cat

meows.  3. Are teachers who are extra nice paid

double? 4. Colin walked into the house that had

been sold.5. If he is angry, Mr. Healy can silence a

room because of his presence.

Put it all together!

Challenge: Diagram the following sentence!

Even though it seems the two were bent on the other’s destruction, the cat and mouse were rather fond of one another, and neither wanted the other’s defeat.