1. Welcome to the World of Diagramming!
WHY diagram?
Diagramming helps you:
understand the meaning of simple to complex sentences.
Analyze styles and forms of writing.
And, comprehend the relationships between words, phrases, and clauses.
What is a phrase or a clause and what’s the difference between them?

2. Part One: Action Verbs
We can diagram a sentence to show its structure, and to see how its parts are related.
We can diagram sentence
Subject
Verb (Phrase) Predicate a
WHO
WHAT

3. Always start with two lines.
You draw and label:
Horizontal lines we’ll call “land”
Vertical lines we’ll call “walls”
Artists
Paint
Subject
Verb
“Land” because it’s the core idea of a sentence. You build on “land” right?
“Walls” because they separate ideas to help understanding.
Write subject and verb under the “land” line.
Why? Because these are the core idea of the sentence!

4. Now you try… Birds are singing Where do these three words go?
Draw and label another diagram:
Birds
are singing
Subject
Verb Phrase
Where do these three words go?
Birds are singing.
“are singing” is a linking verb phrase. We’ll deal with this type of verb later. Back to action verbs…

5. What if we describe the subject?
Artists
paint
Talented
What if we said the artists were talented?
“Talented” describes “artists.”
Write it on a diagonal line below the word it describes.
Another word for describes is “modify”.

6. What if we describe the verb?
Artists paint
Talented
now
What if the talented artists paint now.
“now” describes or “modifies” how or when the artists paint. (It’s describing the verb!)
Write it on a diagonal line below the word it describes.

7. Now you try one… Create sentence that fits this pattern.
Draw and label a third diagram that will be YOURS:
Create sentence that fits this pattern.
Something is doing something and describe both subject and verb with “modifiers”.

8. So what did we learn? Subjects Verbs
The Horizontal line is called? Vertical line is??
Subjects go on what side of the ______ of the vertical line?
Verbs go on what side the ______ of the vertical line.
What does “modify” mean?
We show a modifier for a word by diagramming it how…?

9. What if there is a direct object?
Artists paint
Talented
now
pictures
Note:
Use ACTION verbs only for this exercise and it should make sense when you read across on the land.
What do artists paint now? That will be the D.O.
Talented artists paint pictures now.
Draw a vertical wall which stops at the land.
Write the direct object after the verb.

10. What if we describe the direct object?
Artists paint
Talented
now
pictures
How do you “modify” a modifier? Create a “swing branch”
The
realistic
very
What kind of pictures do artists paint?
Talented artists paint realistic pictures now.
Realistic describes, or “modifies”, pictures.
Write it on a diagonal line under pictures.
Note: the, a, or an are called “articles” and they are also modifiers.

11. Now you try… Make your sentence fit this pattern.
Add on to your diagram:
Make your sentence fit this pattern.
Share your sentence with a partner…

12. What if there is a prepositional phrase?
Artists paint
Talented
pictures
realistic of
The
now
people
This is a branch
What do artists paint realistic pictures of?
Talented artists paint realistic pictures of people.
Of people describes the pictures.
Draw it on a “branch” under pictures.
* Prepositional phrases are good to identify because you will never find the subject or the verb of a sentence inside one!

13. Prepositional phrases can “modify” subjects, verbs, or other parts of a sentence.
All of this is the predicate
Artists paint
Talented
pictures
realistic of on
canvas
The
now
people
The
some
Prep. Phrases tell more about how, when, and where information for verbs and subjects.
Where do artists paint pictures? on canvas
Write it on a branch under “paint.”
Note: Same rules apply for modifying on branches.
Think of a prepositional phrase to add to your sentence and SHARE…

14. Stop! Have you noticed? Only subjects, verbs, and objects
Go on the horizontal line.
Words that describe or “modify” them go below them on diagonal lines.
monkeys eat bananas in
trees
sweet
What is this sentence? Tell your neighbor.
hungry
the

15. So, can I read a diagram? Yes and No
A diagram can be read more than one way…
The hungry monkeys eat very sweet bananas in the trees.
The hungry monkeys in the trees eat very sweet bananas.
In the trees, the hungry monkeys eat very sweet bananas.
Very sweet bananas the hungry monkeys eat in the trees.
The hungry bananas eat very sweet monkeys in the trees.
These 3 groupings of words can be moved around to create STYLE if they stay together, unlike in #5. X
the

16. Break Time!
Take a look at your homework worksheet.

17. Part Two: Linking Verbs
Copy this and label:
Use a back slash with a linking verb.
Tweety is yellow.
Tweety is
yellow
subject
Linking Verb
Subject Complement
What follows a linking verb RENAMES, or describes, the subject.
It is a Subject Complement, not a Direct Object.

18. Know your Linking Verbs!
There are 8 Linking Verbs that help RENAME the subject using the Subject Complement… Is
Are
Was
Were Am Be
Being
Been
These are often used with helping verbs that help tell WHEN the verb happened. For example: could, should, will, had.

19. Linking verbs Tweety is yellow. Tweety is yellow is becoming
subject
Subject Complement
verb phrase
Because the complement describes the subject, the dividing line tilts back toward the subject.

20. Now you try…
subject
Linking verb
subject complement
Use is, are, were, was, am, be, being, like, could be, should have, or other linking verb with/out a helping verb in a sentence.

21. Look at another sentence.
Copy this:
(A Subject Complement that is a Predicate Noun )
Sylvester is cat a
Cat = RENAMES Sylvester.
Cat = predicate noun.
All of this side is the (Verb) Predicate
Why call cat a “predicate noun”?
Because it’s a _______ in the ____________.
Noun Predicate

22. Now you try... Remember: Your predicate noun renames the subject.
Linking verb
Predicate noun
with a modifier
Remember:
Your predicate noun renames the subject.
Try to add a modifier on the diagonal line

23. Add more description… Sylvester was cat a poor frustrated
Add on to this diagram:
Before yesterday, poor Sylvester was a frustrated cat.
Sylvester was cat a
poor
Before
yesterday
frustrated

24. Now you try...
Create a sentence that fits the above pattern.

25. Action Verbs can be Linking Verbs
I smell pizza. (smell is an Action Verb)
The pot of brains smells suspiciously rancid. (smell is an Linking Verb)
pot smells rancid of
The
brains
suspiciously
Rancid = describes the pot.
Rancid = predicate adjective.

26. Now you try…
Create a sentence that fits the above pattern.

27. So what did we learn?
The purpose of a linking verb is to RENAME the _____?
What follows a linking verb is not a direct object but a subject _____.
What is a predicate?
What is a predicate noun?
A prepositional phrase is a collection of words that modify…?
A branch is for diagramming a _____?

28. Break Time!
Take a look at your homework worksheet.

29. Part Three: More Complicated Sentences
So far, we’ve only diagrammed simple sentences, but there are other forms:
Compound
Complex
Compound-complex

30. Know your Conjunctions!
Conjunctions join sentences together…
FANBOYS:
For
And
Nor
But Or
Yet So

31. Diagramming: COMPOUND ELEMENTS
When two or more items are joined by a Conjunction, they form a COMPOUND ELEMENT.
Copy this diagram and label:
Add a “tripod” to join ideas from horizontal lines.
Ruth
ran
and
Ann
There are TWO SUBJECTS Ruth and Ann
But, there are many kinds of compound elements…

32. Diagramming COMPOUND VERBS
Add a “tripod” to join verbs in the predicate.
Copy this:
laughed He
and at
cried
time
same
the

33. Diagramming COMPOUND OBJECTS OF PREPOSITIONS
Add a “tripod” to join objects of the preposition. I
waved
Joe at
Remember, you create a branch for a prepositional phrase.
and
Sam

34. Diagramming COMPOUND PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
Copy this diagram and label: He
wandered
and up
down
Use “bracket” to join prepositional phrases because it joins the diagonal lines.
hill
wind
the

35. Diagramming COMPOUND MAIN VERBS
Add a “tripod” to join verbs.
crackling
Helping Verbs
Thunder
had been
and
all
night
rumbling
What if we wanted to add all night?
Where would it go?

36. Diagramming COMPOUND SENTENCES
Add a “bridge” to join subjects and their verbs. to
catch
John
Infinitive Phrases are “to+a verb” and are diagramed like prepositional phrases but may have a Direct Object.
WENT
JOE at
SCHOOL
BUT I
STAYED AT
HOME

37. Can you read this sentence?
Mary
sang
Verbs (Predicate)
Subjects
and
and
danced
Sue
stared
agony
but
with I
and
and
embarrassment
mumbled
and
Why is this bracket here?
stupidly
quietly
Modifiers can be joined too.

38. STOP! You’re done!
Take a look at your homework worksheet.