Now that you know how to locate and diagram the subject, verb, and direct object in a sentence, you are ready to move on to compound subjects and compound verbs within a sentence. First, let’s review a basic sentence again. Kristilovespizza (subject) (verb)(direct object) Now, here is a sentence with a compound subject. (more than one subject) Kristi and Ally love pizza. In this sentence, both Kristi and Ally are the subject as they are the ones who are doing the action (loving pizza).

Kristi and Ally love pizza. This is how you begin diagramming the sentence. First, set up the diagramming of your verb and direct object. lovepizza Now, see how the compound subject is added to the diagram. Kristi lovepizza Ally and Notice how the diagram shows how both names are the subject. (What?)

Let’s try a few more compound subjects. Dogs and cats can be friends. can be friends cats and Dogs Wind nor rain will stop deliveries. will stop deliveries rain nor Wind Remember to still draw your vertical line through the horizontal line to separate your subjects from the verb.

Now that you are beginning to get the hang of compound subjects, let’s move on to compound verbs. Shoppers grabbed and clutched items. First, set up the diagramming of your subject and compound verbs. Shoppers grabbed clutched and Now you just need to add your direct object that states what the shoppers clutched. It’s easy! Shoppers grabbed clutched and items

Let’s try a few more sentences with compound verbs. Teens will complain and do whine. Notice that there is no direct object. Teens do whine will complain and This next sentence does contain a direct object. Recall that a direct object receives the action of a transitive verb. Just as Brady needs a receiver to catch the ball, so, too, does a transitive verb need a direct object (the receiver) to answer either What? or Who? In a sentence. Players must participate and attend practices. What must they participate in and attend? Practices! That is the direct object. (always a noun or pronoun)

Players must participate attend and practices Let’s try an imperative sentence with a compound verb. Show and direct me. Show and direct are the transitive verbs, and me is telling WHO is being shown and directed, so me is our direct object. What is our subject? me and show direct (You) Subject in parentheses (You) is always the subject in an imperative sentence.

Keep in mind that sentences are rarely this basic in their structure. Interesting sentences contain modifiers such as adjectives and adverbs, as well as phrases and clauses. Under the protection of darkness, the stealthy coyote silently moves towards his innocent prey. This sentence has prepositional phrases, adjectives, and an adverb in addition to the subject and verb. For now, we will not be diagramming such sentences, but see if you can simply pick out the subject and verb and whether or not there is a direct object Under the protection of darknessthe stealthy coyote silently moves towards his innocent prey.

Now, hopefully, you are ready to locate and diagram subjects, verbs/verb phrases, and direct objects within sentences. Try to remember these helpful strategies: 1. Aim to find your verb/verb phrase first. It may be an action verb or simply a verb of “being” such as can be. 2.Ask yourself who or what is doing the action. This will be your subject. “They collected…” 3.Ask yourself if someone (Who?) or something (What?) is receiving the action. What did they collect? They collected donations. Donations is your direct object as this answers What?