Simple Sentences
 A diagram is a visual outline of a sentence
 It shows the relationships among words or groups of
words in a sentence.
 Diagramming serves two purposes
 Helps you understand how a sentence is put together
 Identifies errors in a sentence and makes clear why
they are errors
Simple Sentences
 In a diagram the subject, the verb, the direct object,
and the subject or object complement go on the
main horizontal line.
 Sentence: Galaxies contain stars.
Galaxies
contain
stars
Simple Sentences
 The subject is separated from the verb by a vertical
line that cuts through the horizontal line
 The line to separate a verb from a direct object is
also vertical but does not cut through the line.
 The line to separate a subject complement from a
verb slants to left.
Subject Compliment
Sentence: The Milky Way is a galaxy.
Milky Way
is
galaxy
Object Compliment
 An object complement is placed on the horizontal line
after a line slanting right
 Sentence: The astronomy club elected Jaime president.
club
elected
Jaime
president
Indirect Object
 An indirect object is placed on a horizontal line under
the verb.
 Sentence: The astronomer gave the class a talk.
astronomer
gave
class
talk
Adjectives, adverbs, and
articles
 Placed under the words that they describe
 Sentence: He slowly pulled up a very large radish.
He
pulled up
radish
Prepositional Phrases
 Act as adjectives or adverbs
 Sentence: Commuters in San Francisco ride on cable cars.
Commuters
San Francisco
ride
cars
You Try It
1. An important crop of France is the grape.
2. My friend in Australia sent me birthday card by email.
3. My aunt named the baby Ava.
4. Colorful pennants decorated the walls of the gym.
5. My brother composes songs for the guitar.
6. Okefenokee Swamp in Florida is an animal
sanctuary.
You Try It (continued)
7. The soda pop from the pop machine was warm.
8. The octopus squirts an inklike substance for its
defense.
9. Mars is the fourth planet in the solar system.
10. The Empire State Building in New York is my
favorite place.
11. My sister baked cookies for the school fund-raiser.
12. Tourists in St Louis visit the very impressive
Gateway Arch.