Download Understanding Sentences

Grammar Basics
Just as a building is made up of concrete, lumber, steel beams, and
bricks put together in a certain way, languages are made up of
different parts of speech combined into sentences. To be a real
expert of buildings, you should be able to produce a construction
diagram. To be a real expert in composing sentences, it helps if you
can produce a diagram of the sentences.
Section II
Parts of the Sentence
The Framework of Sentence Construction
There are 5 main parts
to a sentence:
•
•
•
•
•
Subject
Verb
Direct object
Subjective complement
Indirect object
To diagram (parse) a sentence,
look first for the verb.
Without a verb, there cannot be a sentence. A sentence presents a
complete idea.
In these sentences the idea is complete. You know what to do from understanding
the words used.
Hurry!
Stop!
Relax.
In the following examples, the idea is not complete. You don't understand exactly
what the word wants you to do.
Hey!
You!
So?
Next look for the subject of
the sentence, which tells who
or what is doing the action or
explains the “being” of the
verb.
For example:
Incoming freshmen learn the Aggie traditions at
Fish Camp.
Freshmen does the action of “learning.”
A wildcat is one of the many traditions that they
learn.
“Is” explains the being of wildcat.
Look at the verb. If it is a being
verb, (am, is, are, was, were, be,
being, been) it may be followed by
a subjective complement, a noun
or an adjective that follows a
being verb and renames or
modifies the subject.
Aggies are farmers.
Aggie fans are loyal.
If the verb shows action, it may be
followed by a direct object, which
“receives” the action of
the verb.
For Example:
The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band plays the
Aggie War Hymn after the third quarter
of every football game.
Aggie War Hymn “receives” the action of the verb
“play.”
Indirect objects “receive”
direct objects.
Aggies show war veterans respect
when they remove their hats upon
entering the MSC.
“War veterans” receive “respect” which is
the direct object of the sentence
(receives the action of “show”).
There are 2 other parts
of sentences.
Appositives are nouns that rename other nouns, either directly
before them or directly after them.
Reveille, the mascot, attends classes at TAMU.
A beautiful collie dog, Reveille is an important member of
A&M tradition.
Objects receive the action of infinitives, participles, and gerunds or
show the relationship of prepositions.
To win a ball game, Aggie athletes give their best. (“To win” is
an infinitive.)
Running the game ball from College Station to Austin before the
annual game with the University of Texas, Squadron 17
maintains a tradition. (“Running” is a participle.)
Playing ball is a favorite activity of many Aggies.
(“Playing” is a gerund.)
Here are some web sites
that explain the diagramming
of sentences.
• http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/diagrams2/diagrams
2.stm
• http://www.gp.k12.mi.us/ci/eng/StyleSheet/diagramming.ht
ml
Sentences are made up
of clauses.
• A clause is a group of words that
contains a subject and a verb.
• An independent clause can stand
alone and form a complete sentence.
Dependent clauses cannot stand
alone and must be attached to an
independent clause to be a
complete sentence.
They are used as parts of speech and parts
of sentences.
Noun clauses can be used in the same way that
nouns are used. They are introduced by a
relative pronoun (who, whose, whom, which, or
that) or an adverb (where, how, when, etc).
Where the Aggies will play in a bowl game is the question every
November. (Subject)
The question every November is where the Aggies will play in a bowl
game. (Subjective Complement)
Every Aggie knows that Muster is held April 21. (Direct Object)
In what was once called the “holler house,” the Aggie volleyball team
wins many matches. (Object of a preposition)
To say that Texas A&M University is a major university is obvious.
(Object of an infinitive)
Adjective clauses can be used
in the same way that
adjectives are used.
They will answer “which one,” “what kind of,”
or “how many” about a noun. They are
introduced by a relative pronoun—who,
whose, whom, which, or that.
R. C. Slocum, who is the “winningest” football coach in Texas
A&M University’s history, attended McNeese State in
Louisiana.
The cadet that cares for Reveille is a member of E2 in the
Corps of Cadets.
Adverb clauses can be used in
the same way that adverbs are
used.
They will answer “how,” “when,” “where,” “why,” or “how
much” about a verb, adjective, or adverb. They are
introduced by a subordinating conjunction—after,
although, as, as if, as ____ as, because, before, if, in
order that, since, so that, than, though, unless, until,
when, whenever, where, wherever, or while.
If you are a student at Texas A&M University, you know
what the 12th Man is.
Students stand when the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band
marches at halftime of the football games.
Sentences
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather, who
died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all
the passengers in his car.
If you have a lot of tension and you get a
headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle:
“Take two aspirins” and “Keep away from children.”