Bootney Lee Farnsworth
Diamond Member
Here you go, Dan:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-diagram-a-sentence#how-to-diagram-a-sentence-in-5-steps
How to Diagram a Sentence in 5 Steps
The kind of sentence you’re building will determine how you diagram. Below are some ways you can diagram sentences and build on them to create better writing:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-diagram-a-sentence#how-to-diagram-a-sentence-in-5-steps
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-diagram-a-sentence#how-to-diagram-a-sentence-in-5-steps
How to Diagram a Sentence in 5 Steps
The kind of sentence you’re building will determine how you diagram. Below are some ways you can diagram sentences and build on them to create better writing:
- Start with two lines. Draw a horizontal line cut in the center by a vertical line. The left side of the vertical line represents the subject of the sentence (the person or thing performing the verb), and the right is the predicate (the words that modify the subject and usually introduce an action).
- Add the subject and predicate. For a basic sentence, start with a simple subject and a verb phrase. This becomes your independent clause, which is a sentence that can stand on its own. If you use “the man” as the subject and “waved” as the predicate, “The man waved” would be the resulting diagrammed sentence.
- Build on your independent clause. Some sentences involve a direct object—the “what” or the “whom” of the sentence—which is the recipient of the transitive verb (also known as the action verb). If you’re including a direct object, draw another vertical line to the right of the predicate—this will be where the direct object goes. An example of a complete sentence with a direct object is, “The darkness scared the baby.”
- Add modifiers. Sometimes words need additional modifiers in order to create a more specific picture—this is where indirect objects come into play. Direct objects receive the verb’s action, and indirect objects, which generally have a preposition with them, receive the direct object. Beneath your verb, draw a diagonal line connecting it with the indirect object. “The teachers gave their students (indirect object) a passing grade (direct object).” When diagrammed correctly, each element of your sentence is parsed in a visual way that ensures each piece is functioning as it should.
- Make your sentence more complex. If you want to write longer sentences, join two independent clauses with a comma or conjunction, and mark them with a dotted line on your diagram. Ensure that each sentence is its own complete thought and can stand on its own before combining it with another to make a compound sentence.