January 27, 2014
Diagramming with adjectives and adverbs
First, remember that the job of a modifier is to describe:
An adjective describes nouns and pronouns
It must have been a simple, beautiful fall wedding.
It
must have been
fall
ul
utif
bea
ple
sim
a
It is essential that you learn the
questions associated with
determining the role of a
modifying word within a sentence .
wedding
An adjective will answer one of these 4 questions...
Which one? (has the goofiest hair)
What kind? (of mega-ego do these guys have)
How many? (idiots can fill a hot tub)
How much? (can we take of these fools)
Diagramming adj. and adv.
January 27, 2014
An adverb is a modifier, too...
An adverb describes verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs
It certainly must have been asimply beautiful, fall wedding.
It
must have been
ll
fa
ul
tif ly
au mp
be si
a
y
nl
ai
rt
ce
Now, here are the questions
you MUST learn to determine
if the modifying word is an ADVERB.
wedding
Think of a detective trying to solve a crime
when you recall these 4 ADVERB questions...
Diagramming adj. and adv.
WHERE? (...did the crime occur )
WHEN? (...did the crime happen )
To What Extent? (...is the senselessness of the crime)
HOW? (...is it that we have been on T.V. for 20+ years! )
January 27, 2014
The following exercise is taken fromRex Barks: Diagramming Sentences Made Easy by Phyllis Davenport
Page 17 Exercise 2-5: Diagram these sentences. Be careful to look for helping verbs and be
sure that each modifier is attached to the word it modifies.
1. Harry has been listening.
2. Harry has not been listening. (Clue: "not" answershow Harry listens.)
3. Lucy's blue sweater was thrown downstairs.
4. Might that old lady have been sleeping there?
5. Suddenly the booming thunder echoed hollowly.
6. The big bad wolf huffed importantly.
7. What child might be crying now?
8. How they must have been laughing!
9. Away flew the silly geese. (Careful! What is the verb? Who or what is doing the action?)
10. May my sister play here?
Diagramming adj. and adv.
January 27, 2014
1. Harry
5.
thunder
echoed
wl
ow
y (h
)
n?
?)
he
po
im
d(
ly
nt
rta
?)
ne
)
e?
on
ho
ich
hic
wh
(w
?)
ow
(h
?)
t
ha
(w
7.
child
might be crying
he
)
e?
on
?)
nd
ki
at
)
e?
on
?)
re
ich
(w
h
(w
wh
t(
ich
wh
ee
e
er
d
th
ol
sw
(
at
th
)
n?
he
(w
**
might have been sleeping
w
no
*
at
(w
he
re
?)
wh
)
e?
on
?)
nd
ki
ch
hi
(w
lady
huffed
ba
big
e
ow
(h
th
lly
ue
y's
was thrown
do
wn
st a
irs
llo
wolf
(w
fu
bl
c
Lu
4.
ly
6.
re
?)
ow
(h
sweater
en
?)
?)
nd
ki
at
wh
w
ca
t
no
3.
dd
g(
in
om
e
o
(h
2. Harry has been listening
ho
su
bo
th
has been listening
ca
re
fu
lly
8. they must have been laughing
ho
w*
**
Diagramming adj. and adv.
January 27, 2014
9.
geese
13.
flew
ly
e
ha
tk
in
d?
)
)
e?
on
?)
re
ch
he
hi
(w
(w
sister
a
ay
aw
s il
th
10.
sun
was streaming
ev
br
ery
ill
wh
ia
nt
ere
(w
may play
14.
cookie
(w
he
was being baked
(w
ch
)
E?
(*who is an indefinite pronoun in this sentence)
sparrow
(ho
e
th
everyone* was sniffling
sof
tly
(*everyone is an indefinite pronoun)
16.
12.
w?
)
Diagramming adj. and adv.
)
e?
on
?)
re
)
e?
on
he
hi
(w
ch
hi
g TW
bi ry (
ve
(w
re
a
he
y
m
15. fireworks
11. who* has been whistling
were exploding
so
wi
m
ld
ew
ly
(h
he
ow
?)
re
(w
he
re
sings
?)
sw
ee
tly
(
ho
w?
)
re?
)
January 27, 2014
w
he
?)
re
)
e?
on
t(
?)
ou when
(
ly
al
fin
ch
hi
?)
re
)
d?
(w
he
)
n?
in
e ly
tk
ha
(w
em
ny extr
in
sk
(w
he
)
d?
)
E?
W
(T
)
E?
W
(T
w
no
(w
he
)
n?
?)
ow
old
an
w
)
e?
on
ly
t(
al
fin
ch
hi
os
th
e
at
kin
d?
)
(w
ch
hi
es
on
(T
W
E?
)
ou
(w
in
e ly
tk
ha
(w
em
ny extr
in
sk
old
an
plants
have been growing
y
slo
ra ello
wly
th w
(ho
er
(w
w?
h
)
20.
(h
(w
he
n?
)
e ly
lit
po
was breaking
19. dawn
talked
af
te
rw
ar
d
he
18.
came
cat
OR
came
cat
17.
?)