Download Diagramming Begins! - Ms. Kitchens` Corner

Diagramming Begins!

What is diagramming?
 Sentence
analysis
 Shows relationship of each word to the rest of the
sentence
 Think of frog dissection
First…

We already know:
 Every
sentence MUST have a subject and verb
 Subject=noun
 Verb=words of doing or being


Start by asking: WHO or WHAT is DOING or
BEING something?
Now, draw a horizontal line and divide it with a
vertical one:
Next…


Place the subject (noun) and all the things that go
with it on the left side
Place the predicate (main verb) and all things that
go with it on the right side
Subject
Predicate
See how this basic sentence is
diagrammed:
Rex barks.
Rex
Subject
Who or what?
Barks
Predicate
Does or is what?
Now You Try:
Rex whined.
Subject
Who or what?
Predicate
Does or is what?
Good. Now Try again:
Rex was panting.
(Hint: be sure to include all parts of the verb.)
Subject
Who or what?
Predicate
Does or is what?
Diagram these sentences.
Remember, subject on the left,
predicate on the right.
1.
Rex might have been scratching.
2.
Rex did bark.
Subject
Who or what?
Predicate
Does or is what?
Diagram these sentences.
Remember, subject on the left,
predicate on the right.
Rex should have howled.
Rex could have been growling.
1.
2.
Subject
Predicate
Does or is what?
Diagram these sentences.
Remember, subject on the left,
predicate on the right.
1.
Rex must have run.
2.
Rex had slept.
Diagram these sentences.
Rex may be eating.
Rex will have been digging.
1.
2.
What Have We Learned So Far?
SOMEBODY
Or
SOMETHING
DOES or IS
SOMETHING
Now, what if we want to make our
sentences pretty?
birds
Which ones?
What kinds?
Whose?
How many?
sing
What if we want to know:
Where?
When?
Why?
How?
Since ADJECTIVES
Answer the ADJECTIVE QUESTIONS about NOUNS,
they are diagrammed on slanting lines under the
noun they modify:
birds
How many birds? Three = ADJ
sing
Now notice this sentence:
Those three blue birds sing.
Same subject and verb,
birds
sing
But the noun is modified by three words that answer
three different ADJECTIVE QUESTIONS.
How about this?
The birds sing sorrowfully.
Good:
Sorrowfully answers the ADVERB QUESTION: HOW?
birds
sing
So, words that answer ADVERB QUESTIONS are
placed on a slanted line under the VERB
Notice that,
While an adjective usually goes in front of its noun, an
adverb can hop about in the sentence:
 Sorrowfully the birds sing.
 The birds sorrowfully sing.
 The birds sing sorrowfully.
All three sentences are diagrammed in exactly the
same way.
Diagram these sentences. Put adjectives under
nouns, adverbs under verbs. Write what question
each modifier answers.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Poor Rex whined pitifully.
That tired Rex was panting furiously.
Yesterday Rex might have been scratching.
Rex did really bark.
Why did Rex really bark?
Why should that naughty Rex have howled so
dismally?
Ah-ha! A few tricks:



#5, the question—turn it into a declarative sentence…it
will be diagrammed the same as #4.
#6— “why” doesn’t answer an adverb question; it is an
adverb question. Diagram it just as you would an adverb.
#6—Where did you put “so”? That was really sneaky! It
answers the ADVERB QUESTION: HOW. But is does not
modify the verb “howled.” (How did he howl? So? No.) No,
it answers the question “how” about “dismally.” (How
dismally? So dismally.) Remember that adverbs modify
verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.)
So…
Rex
should have howled
Review and Practice:
What have we learned so far?
1.
2.
In a sentence, somebody or something does or is something.
An adjective answers the questions




3.
Which one
What kind
Whose
How many
An adverb answers the questions




Where
When
Why
How
Diagram these sentences. Be sure to find all helping verbs, and
be careful that each modifier is attached to the word it
modifies.
1.
2.
Harry has been listening carefully.
Harry has not been listening carefully. (Hint: “not”
answers how Harry listens.)
Diagram these sentences. Be sure to find all helping verbs, and
be careful that each modifier is attached to the word it
modifies.
1.
2.
Lucy’s blue sweater was thrown downstairs.
That sweet old lady might have been sleeping
there.
Diagram these sentences. Be sure to find all helping verbs, and
be careful that each modifier is attached to the word it
modifies.
1.
2.
Suddenly the booming thunder echoed hollowly.
The big bad wolf huffed importantly.
Diagram these sentences. Be sure to find all helping verbs, and
be careful that each modifier is attached to the word it
modifies.
1.
2.
That child might be crying now.
How they must have been laughing!
Diagram these sentences. Be sure to find all helping verbs, and
be careful that each modifier is attached to the word it
modifies.
1.
2.
Away flew the silly geese. (Careful! What IS the
verb? What or who DID the verb?)
My sister may play here.
** More practice for homework!
And Now: Diagramming Prepositional
Phrases
Review: what is a prepositional phrase? What part(s)
of speech are associated with a prepositional
phrase?
Identify the prepositional phrase(s) in this sentence:
The squirrel ran up the tree, down the tree, behind the
tree, through the tree, under the tree, around the tree
and into the tree.
Notice:
The squirrel ran up the tree, down the tree, behind the tree,
through the tree, under the tree, around the tree and into the
tree.
All the underlined words connect a noun, “tree,” with the rest of
the sentence, in this case through the verb “ran.” Notice that
each propositional phrase (“phrase” means the preposition, its
object (the noun it connects) and any modifiers of the object))
answers the questions “where” or possibly “how.” These are our
old friends, the ADVERB QUESTIONS, and since the phrase
answers where and how the verb was carried out, we know
these phrases are acting as ADVERBS modifying the verb.
How to diagram a prepositional
phrase:
tree
Notice that the preposition goes on a slanting line just below the
word the phrase modified, the object goes on a horizontal line
connected to the preposition line, and any modifier of the noun
object goes under it. In these phrases the word “the” is an
adjective telling “which tree.” Even though our word order goes:
preposition, adjective, noun object, we diagram it: preposition,
noun object, adjective, because we are showing the importance
of words.
squirrel
ran
tree
tree
tree
tree
It’s pretty, no? You too, can have this much linear
fun!
Let’s diagram these prepositional phrases used as
ADJECTIVES:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The boy with the red hat was singing.
A basket of food appeared.
That cat of Lucy’s scratches.
An amount of six dollars was owed.
Now, a trick:
Diagram this sentence:
The bird in the tree sang happily.
**Remember to figure out which question is being
asked!**
Okay, so, you found the prepositional phrase. You asked,
“What question does it answer?” and you said
“Where,” didn’t you? What the prepositional phrase
“in the tree” really tells is “which one.”
It does this by telling “where.” Now think about that. We
often tell “which one” about a noun in this way.
“Which dress will you wear?” “The one on the bed.”
This is an example of how you must always THINK about
what words and word groups are really doing. In most
cases, word order will be a clue as to what a
prepositional phrase modifies.
It may be well to notice that, in our speech patterns,
while one-word adjectives generally go in front of
the nouns they modify, prepositional phrases used as
adjectives go after their nouns.
The big bad wolf; the bottle (of milk).
A final example to study:
The horse with the star on its forehead
galloped through the pasture with angry
snortings at its pursuers.
The horse with the star on its forehead
galloped through the pasture with angry
snortings at its pursuers.
horse
galloped
snortings
star
pastures
pursuers
forehead
Study the placement of all phrases. Notice “on its forehead” modifies the
noun “star.” (“On its forehead” does NOT describe this horse!) Nor did it
“gallop” “at its pursuers.” that tells about its “snortings.” Any noun, not just
the sujbect noun, may be modified by a prepositional phrase.
Review and Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Each word in a sentence is one of the eight parts of speech, depending
on the job it does in the sentence.
Groups of words, called phrase, may act as single parts of speech.
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, a noun object, and
perhaps some adjectives modifying the object.
A preposition connects the object with the rest of the sentence and show
the object is related to the sentence. Usually the relationship has to do
with direction, space, time, possession, etc.
Prepositional phrases usually act as ADJECTIVES or ADVERBS. The whole
phrase will answer one of the ADJECTIVE or ADVERB questions.
We diagram a prepositional phrase under the word it modifies. The
object goes on a horizontal line connected to the preposition. Any
modifiers of the object go under the object.
Diagram these sentences after you have found each prepositional
phrase and asked yourself,
“What question does it answer?”
1.
2.
The lamp with the crooked shade leaned against
the wall.
The carefree moth with the black spots o nits wings
lunged happily toward the flames of the sooty
lantern.
Diagram these sentences after you have found each prepositional
phrase and asked yourself,
“What question does it answer?”
1.
2.
The rich society lady sighed with regret over the
column in the paper.
After the rain Nellie splashed in the puddles on the
walk.
Diagram these sentences after you have found each prepositional
phrase and asked yourself,
“What question does it answer?”
1.
2.
John had been reading about space travel in that
book with the orange cover.
Suzy has been playing with that girl in the house at
the corner.
Diagram these sentences after you have found each prepositional
phrase and asked yourself,
“What question does it answer?”
1.
2.
During the winter the farmer worked at repairs in
his barn.
Harry should not have been sleeping on the porch
without a blanket.
Diagram these sentences after you have found each prepositional
phrase and asked yourself,
“What question does it answer?”
1.
2.
In January I walk to school in the dark.
Beside the dry book she wept for the thirsty violets.
Coordinating Conjunctions
Luckily, you already know what a conjunction is.
So, get out your notes!
What two kinds of conjunctions are there?
What is a coordinating conjunction?
What are some examples of coordinating
conjunctions?
COMPOUND ELEMENTS
When two or more items are joined by a coordinating
conjunction, they form a COMPOUND ELEMENT.
Here are some examples of how these things are
diagrammed:
RUTH
AND
ANN
RAN
EXAMPLE SENTENCE WITH COMPOUND SUBJECTS: RUTH AND ANN
EXAMPLE SENTENCE WITH COMPOUND VERBS
LAUGHED
AND
HE
AT
CRIED
TIME
EXAMPLE SENTENCE WITH COMPOUND OBJECTS
OF PREPOSITIONS
I
WAVED
JOE
AND
SAM
COMPOUND PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
HE
WANDERED
AND
HILL
DALE
COMPOUND MAIN VERBS
CRACKING
HAD BEEN
AND
THUNDER
RUMBLING
COMPOUND SENTENCES
JOE
WENT
BUT
I
SCHOOL
STAYED
HOME
…AND EVEN SCARIER: COMBINATIONS!
MARY
SANG
AND
AND
DANCED
BUT
SUE
STARED
AGONY
AND
AND
I
MUMBLED
AND
EMBARRASSMENT
UNDERSTOOD “YOU”

So far, you have always, it is hoped, found the
subject of each verb. In every sentence, the “doer”
or “be-er” of the verb has been stated. However,
what about this sentence?
Go!
If a large, fierce person says this to you, you will not stick
around looking for a subject. You are immediately
aware that the doer of the action is supposed to be
“you.” That is quickly understood.
UNDERSTOOD “YOU”, CONT.

In fact, we call the subject of a command the
“understood ‘you’” and we diagram it thus:
(YOU)
Other Examples:
*Let me alone.
*Give me my purse.
*March!
GO
DIRECT ADDRESS

Until now, the only NOUN JOBS you have studied
are SUBJECT and OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION.
There are many more. Now you may add DIRECT
ADDRESS. Here are some examples:
 Mary,
the flowers are blooming.
 Come here, John.
 You realize, Harry, that I know the truth.
DIRECT ADDRESS, CONT.


When we call someone by name in a sentence, we
are using a NOUN in DIRECT ADDRESS.
This is how such nouns are diagrammed:
MARY
FLOWERS
ARE BLOOMING
The NOUN of DIRECT ADDRESS has no grammatical connection with the
sentence, so it sits on a line above the main clause of the sentence.
INTERJECTIONS!

An interjection merely expresses emotion; it does no
grammatical job in the sentence, so it sits on a line
above the sentence, thus:
WOW!
BOB
FELL
STAIRS
INTRODUCTORY WORDS

Like nouns of direct address and interjections,
certain INTRODUCTORY WORDS have no
grammatical connection with the sentence and are
diagrammed on a line above the subject:
NOW, YOU TRY:
NO
HE
LEFT
1. YES, I STAYED.
2. WELL, REX WAS BARKING.
3. YET, I COULD NOT REMEMBER.
CELEBRATE!
Now you have finished all the basic steps to beginning
diagramming. Some basics to remember:
1. Make sure you have found all parts of the verbs, all
helpers
2. Pick out prepositional phrases. Determine what
question (adjective or adverb) they answer.
3. Check to make sure your diagram makes sense. Is
your subject the “doer” or the “be-er” of the verb?
Does each modifier answer its question about the
word to which you have it attached?
NOW, A LITTLE PRACTICE:





The wily fox jumped from the stump of the oak tree.
Quickly he ran across the sunlit clearing and into the
dark forest.
Over the river and through the woods to
grandmother’s house we go.
On the ninth page of the little diary in her bureau
drawer was written the secret of the missing scarf.
Should you have been tapdancing on her new table
or singing so loudly?