Sentence Diagramming

Sentence Diagrams A diagram is a visual outline of a sentence. It shows the essential parts of the sentence: Subject, Verb, Direct Object, Complements. And the relationship of the other words to those essentials.

Diagramming Subjects and Predicates Lions roar. Start by drawing a horizontal line. The verb is written on right half of the diagram line. The subject is written on the left side with a vertical line separating it from the verb.

Diagramming Subjects and Predicates Words that describe the subject or the verb are written on slanted lines under them. The frightened lion was roaring loudly.

Diagramming Direct Objects A Direct Object is written on the main line of the diagram to the right of the verb, and separated with a vertical line. (Does not cut through the horizontal line.) Amy saw a rainbow.

Diagramming Subject Complements A subject complement follows a linking verb and renames or describes the subject. Written after the verb on the main line of the diagram separated from the verb with a slanted line. (does not cut through the diagram) The old shed remains sturdy.

Diagramming Indirect Objects An indirect object tells to whom or for whom or for what an action is done. It is placed on a horizontal line under the verb and is connected to the verb by a slanting line. I gave my mother flowers.

Diagramming Appositives An appositive is a word or group of words that follows a noun. In a diagram an appositive is placed in parenthesis to the right of the word it identifies. Words that describe the appositive go under it.

Prepositional Phrases Prepositional phrases are placed beneath the noun or verb that they modify. The preposition is placed on a slanted line and its object on a horizontal line. Modifiers of the object of the preposition are placed on slanted lines beneath the object. The puppy in the shop window jumped up.

Try It Yourself The product is the answer in multiplication. Volcanoes have magma chambers inside them.

Practice We grow flowers in our garden.

The class sang the national anthem yesterday.

The car with the red racing stripe won.

The novel by Hemingway was finally located.

That park is across the wide, busy street.

This class is great.