1. Diagramming Sentences
A Quick Guide

2. I love the smell of bacon in the morning.
Do Now
Identify the main subject and predicate of the following sentence:
I love the smell of bacon in the morning.

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

5. Another example: Birds are singing Birds are singing.
Write the simple subject and verb on the line.
Separate them with a vertical line that crosses the base line.

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

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

8. What if there is a direct object?
Artists paint
Talented
well
pictures
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.

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

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

11. Practice with these Sentences
Several students are writing detailed notes.
Some students are texting short messages.
Angry principals impose strict rules.
Extremely hungry stomachs make growling, groaning noises.

12. That’s All . . .
For now
Next up:
Prepositional phrase

13. What if there is a prepositional phrase?
Artists paint
Talented
pictures
realistic of
people
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.”

14. Try a different prepositional phrase.
Artists paint
Talented
pictures
realistic on
canvas
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.”

15. Build a new sentence.
Hamsters run.
Hamsters run

16. Describe the hamsters.
Energetic hamsters run.
Hamsters run
Energetic

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

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

19. Practice another sentence.
Hamsters eat.
Hamsters eat

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

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

22. 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 in
trees
sweet
Hungry
the

23. Practice with these Sentences
The busy lunch-ladies slopped a spoonful of food onto the plates.
The tiny milk bottles are easy to open.
The long involved sentences in Frankenstein are hard to diagram.

24. That’s All . . .
For now
Next up:
Linking words
conjunctions

25. Linking word--subject
Tweety bird and sunshine are yellow.
Tweety bird
are
yellow
subjects
and
verb
Subject complement
Sunshine
Linking word
When there are two subjects in a sentence, create two subject lines, and link them with a vertical linking word line.

26. Linking words--verb Tweety is yellow but isn’t a coward. is yellow
verbs
but
coward
isn’t
subject a
Linking word
When there are two verbs connected with a linking word, make two verb lines.

27. Compound Sentences Sylvester is a cat but he is not a good mouser.
Sylvester is cat a
but He
is not
mouser a
good
A compound sentence is basically two sentences connected by a conjunction. So just connect two diagrams with a conjunction!

28. Practice with these Sentences
Frankenstein and Dracula were hard to read.
Stevenson’s book was a hard but a short read.
Huck Finn is a book that is easier to read, but it can be offensive.

29. That’s All . . .
For now
Next up:
Noun Clauses
Verbals

30. 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.

31. Noun Clauses
Whatever you want is fine with me.

32. 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.

33. Gerunds
Running is fun.

34. Participals
Stars sparkling in the night glow.

35. Infinitives
I love to run.

36. Practice with these Sentences
Twenty minutes of jumping rope is good for your heart.
My favorite game is throwing frisbees to my dog.
The plants growing near the window need water.
The filtered water tastes delicious.
My goal is to live happily!
The puppies barked to get my attention.

37. That’s All . . .
For now
Next up:
Clauses
Complex sentences

38. 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.

39. Adjective Clauses I read that the book was great!
Who, whom, whose, that, which, where, why, and sometimes when also act like conjunctions, but attach to the subject.

40. Practice with these Sentences
If the weather is nice, I will be happy. 
Whenever my dog barks, my cat meows. 
Are teachers who are extra nice paid double?
Colin walked into the house that had been sold.
If he is angry, Mr. Healy can silence a room because of his presence.

41. 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.