1. Sentence Diagramming
Sentence diagramming is a way of visually understanding the structure of a sentence.
Every type of word in the English language has a special way of being diagrammed!

2. Sentence Diagramming
The most basic form of a sentence diagram looks like this:
The subject goes on the left and the predicate (verb) goes on the right.
Example: Artists paint.
Artists
paint
(subject)
(predicate)

3. Sentence Diagramming Simple Subjects and Predicates (Verbs): Musicians
play
Musicians play.
Dogs
are barking
Dogs are barking.
Mrs. Mitchell
has been reading
Mrs. Mitchell has been reading.
You
do dance
Do you dance?

4. Sentence Diagramming Compound Subjects: Birds fly
Birds and butterflies fly.
and
butterflies
John
have been flirting
John and Suzy have been flirting.
and
Suzy
Bob
will play
Bob or Bill will play. or
Bill
Matt
Are
talking
Are Matt and Mindy talking?
and
Mindy

5. Sentence Diagramming Compound Predicates (Verbs): fly Birds
Birds fly and soar.
and
soar
swam We
We swam and surfed.
and
surfed
will sink He
He will sink or swim. or
(will) swim
Do study
You
Do you study or cram? or
cram

6. Sentence Diagramming What happens when you have
a compound subject AND a compound predicate?
Maggie and Rusty smiled and waved.
Maggie
smiled
and
and
Rusty
waved

7. Sentence Diagramming And what do you do with words that modify?
(Like adjectives, adverbs, articles, possessive pronouns, etc.)
Place them on a slanted line below the word they modify.
Many famous athletes practice regularly.
athletes
practice
Many
famous
regularly
The marathon runner moves very quickly.
runner
moves
The
marathon
quickly
very

8. Sentence Diagramming And what do you do with words that modify?
(Like adjectives, adverbs, articles, possessive pronouns, etc.)
Place them on a slanted line below the word they modify.
Now you try:
The good students always study hard.
students
study
The
good
always
hard

9. What about objects and subject complements?
Sentence Diagramming
What about objects and subject complements?
Subject Complements: Draw a slanted line that does not cross the horizontal line after the verb.
(subject)
(subject complement)
(linking verb)
There are TWO types of subject complements:
Predicate Nouns and Predicate Adjectives

10. Sentence Diagramming Subject Complements Predicate Adjective: markeris
green
The marker is green.
the
Dark caves can be scary.
caves
can be
scary
Dark
Concerts are very exciting.
Concerts
are
exciting
very

11. Sentence Diagramming Subject Complements Predicate Noun: They are
students
They are students.
Cave explorers are spelunkers.
explorers
are
spelunkers
Cave
He will become the next president. He
will become
president
the
next

12. What about objects and subject complements?
Sentence Diagramming
What about objects and subject complements?
Direct Objects: Draw a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line after the verb.
They
are eating
pizza
(subject)
(direct object)
(predicate)

13. Sentence Diagramming Direct Objects Now you try…
Awesome waves battered the shore.
waves
battered
shore
Awesome
the
sister
stole
doll
My sister stole my favorite doll. My my
favorite

14. Compound Direct Objects
Sentence Diagramming
Compound Direct Objects
Compound direct objects: CD a
Tim bought a CD and a shirt.
Tim
bought
and
shirt a
soup
some
Did you order some soup and a salad?
You
did order
and
salad a

15. What about objects and subject complements?
Sentence Diagramming
What about objects and subject complements?
Indirect Objects: Write an indirect object below the verb, on a horizontal line connected to the verb with a slanted line.
(predicate)
Mike gave Sally his book.
(subject)
(direct object)
Mike
gave
book
his
Sally
(indirect object)

16. Sentence Diagramming Indirect Objects Now you try… Lisa gives
attention
Lisa gives school her full attention.
her
full
school JB
did sing
song
Did JB sing the girl a song? a
girl
the