Sentence Diagram
Running head: SENTENCE DIAGRAM
Sentence Diagram Assignment
Chris Giblin
ESL 505
University of Phoenix
1
Sentence Diagram
2
INTRODUCTION
In teaching English as a second language (ESL), instructors need to have an
understanding of how English syntax works, how it can be broken down into constituents
(natural groupings of a sentence), and how it can be taught effectively to ESL students. By using
tree diagrams as a way of teaching English syntax, English instructors can simplify the students’
learning process. Instead of observing a sentence as a whole, naming the parts of speech, and
identifying various constituents (such as noun phrases, verb phrases, and prepositional phrases),
instructors can break down the sentence into key components, which can be better understood by
L2 learners.
SENTENCE DIAGRAMING EXAMPLES
One way to introduce sentence diagramming is to simply jump right into some examples.
The following are abbreviations that are found under every sentence, phrase, or single word in
the example sentences: (S) = sentence, (NP) = noun phrase, (VP) = verb phrase, (V) = verb, (CN)
= common noun, (PN) = proper noun, (Adj) = adjective, (Adv) = adverb, (Det) = determiner,
(PP) = prepositional phrase, (P) = preposition, and (CS) = coordinate structure. The example
sentences are as follows:
1. A scared passenger flew the fast airplane.
2. The cold breeze made my hat blow away.
3. The new car with eight valves sped by the quail on the grassy hill.
4. The teacher saw that the principal arrived.
5. The boat and the ore sank into the water.
Sentence Diagram
Figure 1.
1. A scared passenger flew the fast airplane.
(S)
A scared passenger
flew the fast airplane
(NP)
A
scared
(Det)
(Adj)
(VP)
passenger
(CN)
flew
the fast airplane
(V)
(NP)
the
fast
(Det)
(Adj)
airplane
(CN)
3
Sentence Diagram
Figure 2.
2. The cold breeze made my hat blow away.
(S)
The cold breeze
made my hat blow away
(NP)
(VP)
The
cold
breeze
made
my hat
(Det)
(Adj)
(CN)
(V)
(NP)
blow away
(VP)
my
hat
(Det)
(CN)
blow
(V)
away
(Adv)
4
Sentence Diagram
Figure 3.
3. The new car with eight valves sped by the quail on the grassy hill.
(S)
The new car with eight valves
sped by the grassy hill
(NP)
(VP)
The new car
with eight valves
sped
(NP)
(PP)
(V)
The new
car
(Det) (Adj) (CN)
by the grassy hill
(PP)
with
eight
valves
by
(P)
(Adj)
(CN)
(P)
the grassy hill
(NP)
the
(Det)
grassy
(Adj)
hill
(CN)
5
Sentence Diagram
Figure 4.
4. The teacher saw that the principal arrived.
(S)
The teacher
saw that the principal arrived
(NP)
(VP)
The
teacher
(Det)
(CN)
saw
that
(V)
(C)
the
(Det)
the principal arrived
(NP)
principal
arrived
(CN)
(V)
6
Sentence Diagram
Figure 5.
5. The boat and the ore sank into the water.
(S)
The boat and the ore
sank into the water
(NP)
The boat
(NP)
(VP)
and
the ore
sank
into the water
(CS)
(NP)
(V)
(PP)
The
boat
the
ore
into
(Det)
(CN)
(Det)
(CN)
(P)
the
(Det)
water
(CN)
CONCLUSION
After carefully observing the above sentence diagrams, an ESL instructor should have a
decent idea of how sentences can be broken down into constituents making them easier to
comprehend for L2 learners. Instructors can use sentence diagrams as both part of a lecture as
well as for student assignments.
7
Sentence Diagram
References
Fromkin, V., Hyams, N., & Rodman, R. (2003). An introduction to language (7th ed.) Boston:
Thomson, Inc. EBSCOHOST database.
8