Diagramming
Sentences
Beginner Level
2
Diagramming Sentences
One way to improve your grammar and writing skills is by
learning to diagram sentences.
Sentence diagramming can help you understand how to
break a sentence down into parts. This will help you make
sure you are following all of the grammar rules when you
write.
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Diagramming Sentences
When diagramming sentences, the easiest way to start is to
identify the parts of speech within the sentence.
To diagram sentences, you will use base lines, separators,
slanted lines. and dotted lines. Each part of speech has its
own place on the diagram.
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Lines Used in Diagramming
separator
lines
dotted line
base line
slanted line
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Simple Sentences
Every sentence has a simple subject and a simple predicate.
Example:
Monica sang.
simple
subject
simple predicate
(verb)
Monica
sang
1. Draw
2.
3.
4.
Drawyour
Insert
your
yourbase
separator.
simple
line.
subject onon
predicate
thethe
left
right
side
of your
side
of your
separator.
separator.
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Simple Sentences
Every sentence, no matter how long it is, has a simple
subject and a simple predicate.
Example: James jumped over the stream.
simple
subject
simple predicate
(verb)
James
jumped
1. Draw
2.
3.
Drawyour
your
separator.
line.
4.
Insert
yourbase
simple
subject onon
thethe
left
side
predicate
right
of your
separator.
side
of your
separator.
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Your Turn
Diagram only the simple subject and simple predicate for the following
sentences.
Skippy barked.
Skippy
barked
Six turtles crawled across the sand.
turtles
crawled
Jerome ate five hot dogs at the fair.
Jerome
ate
The tall woman shouted at the group of teenagers.
woman
shouted
Katy waved.
Katy
waved
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Compound Subjects
Sometimes, a sentence has more than one subject.
This could be more than one person, place, or thing.
When this happens, the sentence has a compound
subject.
Compound subjects are usually joined by the
conjunction and. Other conjunctions that are used are
but, nor, for, as, and than. 9
Compound Subjects
Example: Judy and Tony rode the bus to school.
compound subject
On the left side of the separator, you need to place the first
subject on a line above the second one. Then connect the
lines to the base line, draw a dotted line, and write the
conjunction and between them.
Judy
and
Tony
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Three Subjects
Sometimes, a sentence has more than two subjects.
This could be more than two people, places or things.
…
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Three Subjects
Example: Jun, Henry, and Blake ate lunch together.
subjects
On the left side of the separator, you need to place all three
subjects. Then connect the lines to the base line, draw a
dotted line, and write the word and between them.
Jun
and
Henry
Blake
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Your Turn
Diagram only the compound subjects for the following sentences.
Diane and Donna are twins.
Diane
Skippy
Rover
Juice
punch
Angela
Greg
and
Angela and Greg ate pizza.
and
Juice and punch are similar drinks.
and
Skippy and Rover barked.
and
Donna
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Commands
Sometimes, a sentence (or command) has a subject that
is understood. It does not need to be written down or
stated out loud for the listener to know what the subject
of the sentence is.
When this happens, the sentence has an understood
subject.
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Commands
Example: Run!
On the left side of the separator on the base line, you need to
place the understood subject in parentheses. On the right
side, you will place the command.
understood
subject
(you)
Run
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Your Turn
Diagram these sentences that have an understood subject.
Stop!
(you)
Stop
Go!
(you)
Go
Sit!
(you)
Sit
Sing!
(you)
Sing
(you)
Wait
Wait!
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Interjections
An interjection is a word (or clause) used to emphasize a
particular emotion or tone. It usually comes at the
beginning of a sentence.
Example: Ouch, that hurt!
Ouch is the interjection.
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Interjections
An interjection is diagrammed on its own line above the
main diagram.
Example: Wow, she won!
Wow
she
won
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Your Turn
Diagram these sentences that begin with an interjection.
Man
Man, I tried!
I
tried
Whoa
Whoa, Jenny danced!
Jenny
Wow, you sang!
Wow
you
Yikes, I fell!
Yikes
I
danced
sang
fell
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Articles
There are three articles: a, an, and the. These can be used
to describe any singular noun. An article is a kind of adjective.
An article or an adjective is placed on a slanted line below the
word it modifies.
Example: The boat sailed.
boat
Th
e
sailed
article
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Your Turn
Diagram only the subject, verb, and article in each sentence.
A tree fell.
man
shouted
e
Th
The man shouted.
tree
fell
A
An apple is a healthy snack.
apple
An
is
A car backfired.
car
backfired
A
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Adjectives
An adjective is a word used to describe a subject. An adjective gives more information about a noun. To say, “The tree fell,” is not very specific. To say, “The big tree fell,” gives more information, and to say “The big old brown tree fell,” is very specific. To diagram an adjective, add it below the noun it modifies
on a diagonal line.
Example: Angry dogs bark!
dogs bark
An
y
gr
adjective
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Compound Adjectives
Sometimes a single subject will be modified by several
adjectives. Compound adjectives are diagrammed the
same as single adjectives, there are just more of them.
Remember, an article is a kind of adjective.
Example: The big old brown tree fell.
tree
ow
br
old
big
e
Th
n
article
fell
adjectives
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Your Turn
Diagram these sentences that have articles and adjectives.
woman
shriveled
dog
slept
sm
A
A smelly dog slept.
grape
le
litt
e
Th
The little grape shriveled.
y
ett
pr
l
tal
the
The tall, pretty woman laughed.
laughed
ell
y
A kind and energetic boy helped.
boy
helped
en
A
and
tic
d
ge
er
kin
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Compound Predicates
Just like a sentence can have more than one subject, it can
also have more than one verb. The subject is doing more
than one thing.
When this happens, the sentence has a compound
predicate.
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Compound Predicates
Example: Nancy walked and skipped to school.
compound
predicate
On the right side of the separator, you need to place the first verb on a line above the second one. Then connect the lines to the base line, draw a dotted line, and write the conjunction and between them.
walked
and
skipped
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Your Turn
Tucker growled and barked.
and
jogs
growled
Tucker
Janese
barked
screams
and
Janese screams and yells.
Diane
and
Diane runs and jogs.
runs
ate
Angela
and
Angela ate and drank.
yells
drank
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Compound Subjects and Predicates
A sentence can also have more than one subject and
more than one verb. The subjects are doing more than
one thing.
Example: Mia and James ran and hid.
compound
subject
compound
verb
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Compound Subjects and Predicates
Diagram this type of sentence the same you would diagram a
sentence with only a compound subject or compound predicate
Just put both on each side of the separator!
Example: Mia and James walked and skipped to school.
walked
Mia
and
and
James
skipped
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and
Angela
Greg
cheered
ate
and
Angela and Greg ate and drank.
and
Dad
barked
stood
Mom
and
Mom and Dad stood and cheered.
and
Molly
ate
growled
Simon
and
Simon and Molly growled and barked.
Carrie
and
Becca and Carrie shopped and ate.
shopped
Becca
and
Your Turn
drank
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Your Turn
Diagram only the direct address, the understood subject, and the simple
predicate.
Manuel
Manuel, buy the book!
(you)
buy
Jenny
Jenny, come here.
(you) come
Desi
Desi, sing!
Trey, open the door.
(you)
sing
Trey
(you)
open
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Adverbs
An adverb is a word that tells how something is done.
Adverbs often end in –ly. An adverb may modify a verb,
an adjective, or and adverb.
Examples: The man ran quickly.
Quickly answers the question How did he run?
In this sentence, quickly modifies the verb ran.
The man wore a very small cape. Very answers the question How small was his cape?
In this sentence, very modifies the adjective small.
The man spoke quite briskly. Quite answers the question How briskly did he speak?
In this sentence, quite modifies the adverb briskly.
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Adverbs
To diagram an adverb modifying a verb, treat the adverb
as you would any other modifier.
Example: The man yelled loudly.
verb
adverb
adverb modifying
the verb yelled
man
yelled
lou
e
Th
dly
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Adverbs
To diagram an adverb modifying an adjective, treat the
adverb as you would an other modifier.
Example: The extremely loud man yelled.
adverb
adjective
man
verb
yelled
ely
em
d xtr
lou e
e
Th
adverb modifying
the adjective loud
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Adverbs
If an adverb is modifying another adverb, there is a
special way to diagram it.
Example: The man yelled very loudly.
adverb modifying…
adverb
adverb modifying
the verb yelled
man
yelled
dly
l o u e ry
v
e
Th
adverb modifying
the adverb loudly
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Compound Adverbs
Multiple adverbs can modify a single word.
Example: Hillary acted quickly and decisively.
To diagram such a sentence, add both adverbs to the
word they modify (in this case, acted) and connect
them with a dotted conjunction bar.
Hillary
acted
and
ive
ci s
ly
ick
de
qu
ly
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Your Turn
Diagram these sentences that use adverbs.
dressed
singers
auditioned
ply
sim
Jeanine
Jeanine dressed simply.
we
ll
an
M
Many singers auditioned well.
y
Ramesh glanced down quickly.
Ramesh
glanced
wn ly
do ick
qu
Melinda
danced
and
y
l
ful
wl
ce
slo
gra
Melinda danced slowly and
gracefully.
y
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Recap
In Diagramming Sentences: Beginner Level, we covered the
methods for diagramming these sentence parts:
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