Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

College of Education
Department of Teacher Education

Lesson Two: Sentence Diagramming

Written report of the second lesson under the

course Teaching and Assessment of Grammar
ENL 3218-2 Group 2

Garcia, Regine Lea S.

Lajom, Loise Mikaella S.
Lor, Krista Amzi A.
Lumanog, Blessie Mae M.
Mendez, Janna Loraine
Sican, Jeanne Casey P.
Tumbaga, Dhanica Marie P.

Prof. Karen Ajy P. Dacio

February 2024
 Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

Table of Contents

A. Introduction to Sentence Diagramming 1

A.1 Defining sentence diagramming 1
A.2 Significance of sentence diagramming 1
B. Sentence Diagramming 3
B.1 Components of a sentence diagram 3
B.2 Order of components in sentence diagramming 4
C. Sentence Diagramming With Other Grammatical Components 6
C.1 Linking verbs 6
C.2 Nouns, clauses, noun phrases, and infinitive phrases 6
C.3 Conjunctions 10
C.4 Subordinate clauses 13
C.5 Appositives 16
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Introduction to Sentence Diagramming

Garcia and Mendez

A.1 Defining sentence diagramming

A sentence diagram is a visual organization system that you can use to see how the parts
of speech like nouns, verbs, prepositions, and articles work together and relate to each other in
any given sentence.

A.2 Significance of sentence diagramming

● The significance of sentence diagramming is to assure that the structure and
arrangement of your sentences, known as syntax, are clear and easily understood.

● Highlighting proper grammar

○ Sentence Diagramming assists you in making sure that your writing follows the
fundamental English sentence forms.

For example: The cat chased the mouse.

● Identifying fragments
○ Sentence fragments, also known as subordinate clauses, are dependent clauses
that do not fully describe the subject matter. Diagramming sentences makes this
easier to determine.

For example: Running through the park.

● Establishing word order

○ A sentence diagram visually presents the correct arrangement of subject
complements, including predicate adjectives that describe the subject, and their

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linking verbs. This helps ensure that your writing has a smooth and coherent
flow.

For example: The beautiful are flowers.

● Placing appositives
○ Sentence diagramming assists writers in determining the appropriate placement
and usage of appositives, which are noun phrases that rename another noun. It
also helps to visualize the connections and interactions between various
sentence components, enabling effective communication of language.

For example: My friend Jane, a talented artist, painted a beautiful portrait.

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Sentence Diagramming
Sican and Tumbaga

B.1 Components of a sentence diagram

● Sentences contain a number of different components, or parts, that must work together.
Diagramming sentences allows you to separate and identify these different components
of sentences by arranging them pictorially.

Although there are several methods of diagramming a sentence, each involves

separating the subject, the predicate (the verb) and the other components of a sentence.

Those components can include:

● Subject – who or what the sentence is about; the noun doing the action
● Predicate – verb or action being done
● Direct object – something/someone the action is done to
● Indirect object – the person/thing the action is done to or for
● Prepositions – relationship words that provide information about how the other parts of
the sentence fit together
● Modifiers – words that provide additional detail about a subject, action or object in the
sentence
● Articles – words that modify nouns
● Dependent (subordinate) clauses – clauses that can't stand alone
● Conjunctions – words that connect other words together

There are four types of lines you’ll need for sentence diagramming:
● Horizontal lines (⎯⎯⎯) to write subjects, verbs and objects
● Vertical lines ( | ) to separate subjects, verbs and objects
● Diagonal lines ( / ) to write modifiers, prepositions and articles
● Dotted vertical or diagonal lines ( ⦙ ) for conjunctions

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B.2 Order of components in sentence diagramming

● Diagramming a sentence involves breaking it down into its grammatical components and
representing those components visually. Let's start by diagramming a simple sentence
Cats meow.

B.2.1. Create a diagram for the subject and predicate

● Begin by drawing a long horizontal line (the baseline) below the sentence,
and then draw a short vertical line down the middle of the horizontal one.
The subject noun, cat, is placed on the left side. The verb and/predicate is
placed left. The word meow is an intransitive verb that does not require a
direct object to complete its meaning.

B.2.2. Design a diagram illustrating a sentence with a direct object.

● The direct object, “fish'', is positioned in the baseline following the verb. A
separate vertical line which does not intersect the baseline, separates the verb
from the direct object. In this sentence, we used a transitive active verb. It is a
verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning, and it denotes an
action that someone or something performs on another noun or pronoun.

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B.2.3. Designing a diagram that demonstrates indirect objects

● Placed on a short horizontal line beneath the verb, indirect objects (in this case,
owners) are connected by a short diagonal line

B.2.4. A diagram with prepositions

● Under the word it modifies, draw a small horizontal line for a prepositional
phrase like "off the table" and connect it with a diagonal line. In this instance,
"off the table" refers to the place where the action took place, so the horizontal
line should go under the direct object "glass". Then, write the preposition ("off")
on the diagonal line and the preposition’s object ("glass") on the horizontal line.

B.2.5. Adding modifiers and articles

● Place modifiers and articles beneath the words they describe on diagonal lines.
In this case, the article "the" and the modifier "playful" go under the line of the
subject "cat" because they modify that word.

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Sentence Diagramming with Other Grammatical Components

Lajom, Lor, Lumanog, and Sican

C.1 Sentence Diagramming with Linking Verbs

● Linking Verbs ー Linking verbs connect the subject to its description rather than showing
action. They require a complement that refers to the subject and adds meaning. Linking
verbs "link" the subject to the following descriptive details. The complement can be a
possessive, pronoun, noun, adjective, or noun.
● Diagramming linking verbs ー When diagramming a sentence with a linking verb, like
"is", “became”, or "seems," you place a diagonal line after the linking verb. This diagonal
line connects the linking verb to the word that describes or renames the subject. In the
sentence "The cat became playful," you would draw a diagonal line after "became,"
connecting it to "playful." This shows that "playful" describes the subject "cat."

C.2 Sentence Diagramming with Nouns Clauses, Noun Phrases, and Infinitive Phrases
C.2.1. Key Concepts
● A noun phrase refers to a group of words containing a noun, but without a verb.
For example:
○ She owns a very expensive watch.
○ The book on the table.
● A noun clause refers to a clause that functions as a noun, which contains a
subject and a verb. For example:
○ I like what I see.
○ I know where your dog went.

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C.2.2. Consider the given sentence in creating a sentence diagram:

She owns a very expensive watch.
1. Draw your baseline.

2. Identify the subject, verb, and direct object within the sentence and write them
in their respective slots.

3. Add your modifiers. In this case, the article “a” and the adjective “expensive”
modifies the noun “watch”, which is the direct object of the sentence.
Considering that “very” is an adverb of degree, it modifies the word “expensive”
instead of “watch”. Hence, it should be written below the word “expensive”.

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C.2.3. Consider the given sentence in creating a sentence diagram:

Where my sock had gone was a mystery
1. Identify the noun clause in the sentence and determine its function. In this case,
the noun clause “Where my sock had gone” functions as a subject.
2. Draw your primary baseline.

3. Above the slot designated for the subject/noun, create a separate diagram for
the noun clause whereas the noun is the “sock” along with the modifier “my”,
and the predicate is “had gone” along with the adverb “where”. Note that
auxiliary verbs are always written with the predicate.

4. Connect the diagrammed noun clause into the primary baseline with a pedestal.
Now, you may begin diagramming the rest of the sentence. “Was” serves as the
be-verb, written at the predicate slot followed by a diagonal line.

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5. “Mystery” serves as the complement necessary to complete the sentence, hence

why it should be written at the final slot beside the be-verb.

6. Complete the diagram by including the remaining modifiers (“a”).

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C.3 Sentence Diagramming with Conjunctions

WHAT ARE CONJUNCTIONS?
- are words and/or phrases that join together with other words or groups of words
TYPES OF CONJUNCTIONS:
Coordinating, subordinating, and correlative
EXAMPLES:
FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
either… or, both… and, while, if, although, however
SENTENCE DIAGRAMMING helps us visualize a sentence structure and its usage. The more we
practice sentence diagramming, the more we can compose sentences that are clearer and free
of grammatical errors.
However, this can be complex since the conjunction's usage significantly affects the employed
method.
Sentence Diagramming with Conjunctions
1. Compound Subjects: more than one subject joined by a conjunction.
- shares the same predicate in a sentence.
Example: Cara and Mia went to the supermarket.
Let's try to diagram:
Step 1: The horizontal line is the baseline of the sentence. The subjects "Cara" and "Mia" will be
on the left side of the baseline. But they will be separated by a diagonal line connected to the
baseline by vertical lines. That will create an arrow-like shape pointing towards the left side. The
main predicate "likes," which also acts as the verb, will be on the right side of the baseline. A
diagonal line separates them.
Step 2: The conjunction "and" is written on the vertical dotted line that intersects the two
diagonal lines.
Step 3: The verb "went" is on the right side of the baseline.

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Step 4: For the prepositional phrase "to the supermarket," you must connect beneath the verb
and draw a diagonal line. And another diagonal line beneath the word "supermarket," which is
"the" that describes the word "supermarket."
2. Compound Predicates: occurs when a conjunction joins two or more verbs or verb phrases.
Example: Donkey ran out of the castle and fell onto the ground, panting uncontrollably.
Let's try to diagram:
Step 1: Draw a baseline. On the left part of the baseline — write the sentence's simple subject,
which is the word "Donkey."
Step 2: On the right side of the baseline, the simple predicate is the words "ran" and "fell." they
will be separated by diagonal lines connected to the baseline. The conjunction "and" is written
on the vertical dotted line intersecting the two diagonal lines.
Step 3: Beneath the word fell, you can see the prepositional phrase structure, "onto" and
"ground," and beneath the word "ground," a diagonal line is drawn where we place the word
"the" that describes the word "ground."
Step 4: Then do the same thing again for "ran". Add your prepositional phrase structure, "out
of" and "castle", beneath the word castle. Draw a diagonal line. Place the word "the" in there
that acts as the modifier of the word "castle".
Step 5: Beneath the subject "Donkey," we will have to draw a prepositional phrase slope; the
word "panting" is written on the diagonal and horizontal line, and the adverb "uncontrollably" is
written beneath the word "panting" since the adverb – uncontrollably modifies the word
"panting."
3. Compound Sentences: two independent clauses are connected by a coordinating
conjunction, a semicolon, or a colon.
Example: Jaehyun kicked the rock, and it hit Johnny in the knee.
Let's try to diagram:
Step 1: Write the subject of each clause on a separate horizontal line.
Step 2: Write the predicate of each independent clause on the baseline in each horizontal line.

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Step 3: On the farthest right of the baseline: since "rock" acts as the direct object, the word
"rock" is written there. Beneath the predicate "rock", we will have a diagonal line to write the
modifier "the".
Step 4: Beneath the word, the predicate "hit" a prepositional phrase slope will be drawn to put
the words "in" and "leg" and beneath the word "leg", a diagonal line is drawn to write the
modifier "the".
Step 5: Lastly, a dotted vertical line is drawn to show the connection of the verbs — "and" that
acts as the coordinating conjunction of the two independent clauses.
4. Multiple Nouns: these are two or more nouns that act as a single grammatical unit in a
sentence.
Compound Nouns: lunchtime, firefighter, mailman
Appositive Nouns: My husband, Jaehyun, is going to sing
Noun Phrases: the happy woman
Example: Nothing scares me except cats, mice, and snakes.
Let's try to diagram:
Step 1: Since "Nothing" acts as the main subject, write it on the left side of the baseline. This is
followed by the main predicate "scares" and then the object "me" on the right side of the
baseline. Make sure to draw a horizontal line between them to connect them all.
Step 2: Add the adverb "except" by drawing a small diagonal line connecting the main predicate
line to a vertical dotted line.
Step 3: Write the coordinating conjunction "and" on the left side of the dotted line.
Step 4: Write the first noun, "cats", on its own line connecting to the dotted line. Then, from the
dotted line to a new vertical line, draw another small diagonal line, and write the next noun,
"mice," on its own line. Lastly, from the dotted line to another vertical line, draw one last
diagonal line and write the last noun, "snakes," on its line.

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5. Multiple Modifier: use more than one modifier to modify a single pronoun or noun in a
sentence. These modifiers can include prepositional phrases, participial phrases, adjectives, and
adverbs.
Example: The cat ate slowly and peacefully.
Let's try to diagram:
Step 1: Write the subject "cat" on the far left of the baseline.
Step 2: Following the subject on the baseline, write the verb "ran" that acts as a predicate.
Step 3: Draw a diagonal line beneath the subject, then write the article "the".
Step 4: Finally, beneath the verb, write the modifiers "slowly" and "peacefully" on separate
diagonal lines, with a dotted horizontal line connecting the conjunction "and" written on top.
This indicates that the conjunction "and" connects both modifiers to the verb.

C.4 Sentence Diagramming with Subordinate Clauses

A subordinate clause is a kind of clause that serves as a dependent clause in a sentence
because it is unable to stand alone as a sentence. It is typically introduced with a subordinate
conjunction like "although," "because," "if," "since," "when," and so forth.

Example of sentence with subordinate clause :

The city vanished after the volcano erupted in 1336.

To diagram this sentence here is the step by step process:

1. In this diagram the independent clause “The city vanished.” is on top. followed by the
subordinate clause, “after the volcano erupted in 1336.”
Main clause: The city vanished. - Can stand alone
Subordinate clause : After the volcano erupted in 1336 - Cannot stand alone

2. Place the subject “city” on the upper left side of the diagram and the verb “vanished”
on the right side of the baseline.

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3. Followed by a diagonal line under the subject to identify the article “the.”

The subordinate clause, after the volcano erupted in 1336, is placed on another
baseline underneath the main clause.
4. Place the subject in the sentence “volcano” on the upper left side of the baseline.

5. Followed by a diagonal line under the subject, the modifier “the”.

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6. Place the verb “erupted” on the upper right side of the baseline.

7. Indicate the relationship between the main and subordinate clauses by drawing a dotted
line between the verb and the subject and place the subordinating conjunction “after”
on the dotted line that connects the verb, “vanished” and the subject “volcano”.

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8. Finally , followed by a diagonal line underneath the verb “erupted” put the preposition
“in” and then draw a horizontal line placing the object of the preposition “1336”.

To sum it up, sentence diagramming can be challenging when using conjunctions,

subordinate clauses, and other sentence components, but it is a useful tool for visualizing the
composition of a sentence. Writers can improve the effectiveness of their sentences and the
clarity of their message by learning how to diagram sentences that contain conjunctions and
subordinate clauses.

C.4 Sentence Diagramming with Appositives

C.4.1. Key Concepts
● Appositives refer to a noun that immediately follows and renames its preceding
noun in order to specify or classify it. For example:
○ Junia’s cat Muffin has a crooked tail.
(Muffin) renames Junia’s cat.
○ Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, is the most populated city in
the country.
(city) renames Manila.
○ My oldest cousin, Nathan, lives in Canada.
(Nathan) renames cousin.

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● An appositive phrase refers to any appositive that comes with modifiers. For
example:
○ I cooked with paprika, my favorite spice.
‘Spice’ is an appositive. ‘My favorite spice’ is an appositive phrase.
C.4.2 How to diagram a sentence with appositives
● Consider the sentence: “Pepper, our dog, is a brown poodle.”

● Consider the sentence: “Olivia, my sister with dark hair, sang a song.”
○ When diagramming an appositive phrase, always write the modifiers on
slanted lines below the appositive.

● Consider the sentence: Atty. Reyes Jr., or Sir Sonny, is the university President.
○ When introduced with “or”, it should be written above the appositive,
connected inside the appositive’s parentheses with a broken line.

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