Sentence Types and Diagramming

The Basics

Two ways that parts of speech fit together into expression

CLAUSES:
Subject: noun(s) or pronoun(s); words or word groups that act like nouns Starts the action Answers the question Who or What relevant modifiers articles, adjectives and other words or word groups describe the subject, or other words that modify the subject Predicate: verbs: transitive or intransitive verbs; linking verbs objects: nouns or pronouns affected by a transitive verb relevant modifiers adverbs and descriptive phrases phrases describe the action, its object, or other words that modify the these Independent: can stand on its own as a sentence; main clause Dependent: cannot stand on its own; subordinate clause modifies part or all of another clause

PHRASES: verbal phrases; prepositional phrases; appositive phrases

Word groups: lack a subject and predicate verb Descriptive: act like adjectives or adverbs; modify Informative: add more information to an idea

Four reasons to express yourself in a sentence.

TO DECLARE: A DECLARATIVE SENTENCE declares something as though fact.
Monday is a federal holiday. Ends in a period. Doesnt have to be true to be declared as though factual.

TO ASK: AN INTEROGATIVE SENTENCE asks a questions or expresses in a questioning way.

Does that mean we dont have class on Monday? Ends in a question mark, always. [?]

TO COMMAND: AN IMPERATIVE SENTENCE demands or requests that some action be obeyed; related to imperious: from a position of high authority
Dont expect to have Tuesday off, though. Please keep up with the assigned reading. Ends in a period. Always implies that the subject is the pronoun you. If you miss all of next weeks classes, there will be hell to pay! Ends in an exclamation point [!]. Interjections, phrases, even single words, can become sentences when they are exclaimed, because the missing words are implied. (E.g., Late again!)

TO EXCLAIM: AN EXCLAMATORY SENTENCE shouts or expresses intensity.

Four ways to construct a sentence using parts of speech.

A SIMPLE SENTENCE
One, and only one, main clause (an independent clause), and no other clauses. Any number of phrases may be included. The responsibilities of a beekeeper can sometimes be heavy.

A COMPLEX SENTENCE
One, main clause (an independent clause), and one or more subordinate clauses (dependent clauses). The responsibilities of a beekeeper, which are too numerous to list, can sometimes be heavy.

A COMPOUND SENTENCE
Two or more main clause connected by a coordinating conjunction; NO subordinate clauses. The responsibilities of a beekeeper can sometimes be heavy, but the reward of raising bees are great.

A COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE
Two or more main clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction, and at least one subordinate clause. The responsibilities of a beekeeper, which are too numerous to list, can sometimes be heavy, but the reward of raising bees are great if you respect these industrious and important little insects.

The Rules
[for all sentence types]
Horizontal lines are for . . .
Verbs Nouns, including
Pronouns Gerunds and Gerund Phrases Infinitive Noun Phrases

Solid Vertical Lines are for . . .

Bisecting or intersecting horizontal lines, to separate nouns from verbs

Solid Diagonal lines are for . . .

Modifiers and Modifying Phrases

Diagramming a Simple Sentence

Start with a horizontal line

Bisect the line into Subject and Predicate

If the verb is transitive, divide the Predicate Verb from the Predicate Object with a perpendicular line.

Place the Subject of your main clause to the left, on the bisected line.

Place the Predicate Verb of your main clause to the right of the bisection.

If your Predicate Verb is transitive, place its object to the right of the perpendicular line (still part of the Predicate).

If the Predicate Verb is a Linking Verb, place the Predicate Nominative Noun or Adjective to the right of a slanted line (where the Predicate Object would normally go).

Modifiers or Modifying Phrases

Placed on solid diagonal lines under the words they modify
Adjectives, Adjective phrases Adverbs, Adverb phrases Infinitive Modifying phrases Participles and Participial Phrases Prepositional Phrases

Adjectives
Go under nouns, and Answer the questions What kind? How many? Which? Whose? and Whats it like?

Adverbs
Go under verbs or alongside other adjectives and adverbs, and Answer the questions When? Where (in what direction)? How? or How much? (To what degree?)

Place a modifier or modifying phrase on a diagonal under the word it describes. If it is a phrase containing object nouns (e.g.., a preposition phrase), make sure nouns go on horizontal lines, and their modifiers go on diagonal lines under them. Remember, some adverbs can modify adjectives and other adverbs; attach these alongside them.

Compound Elements
Compound elements in a clause or phrase are split and stacked on horizontal lines.
Dashed Vertical Lines connect compound elements and label the coordinating conjunction

Compound Elements
Compound Verbs can sometimes be a combination of transitive and intransitive. When Transitive Verbs are part of Compound Elements, their Predicate Objects must be included with them.

Sophisticated Phrases, Simple Sentences

Words and phrases that act like more than one part of speech use, both, diagonal and horizontal lines; these include
Participial Phrases Gerund Phrases Infinitive Phrases Prepositional Phrases

GERUNDS and GERUND PHRASES

When whole phrases or clauses behave like nouns (regardless if it is the subject, predicate or object of a preposition), a tripod elevates the entire diagrammed phrase or clause over the appropriate place on the horizontal line.
Like any noun, a gerund goes on a horizontal line, but because it is a verbal, it has the potential to be derived from a transitive verb, which takes objects. Youll note, then the similarities between diagramming a predicate verb and its object and any verbal and its object. Also, since verbals are like verbs, they may also come with their own modifiers and modifying phrases that would go under them on diagonal lines. Remember, because they are nouns, gerunds answer the question, What?

GERUNDS and GERUND PHRASES

Heres an example of a gerund that is the object of a prepositional phrase

PARTICIPLES and PARTICIPIAL PHRASES

A PARTICIPIAL PHRASE is a kind of ADJECTIVE, but its derived from a VERB. It is represented on a sentence diagram, both, as a modifier and as a verb: it uses a diagonal line under the noun it modifies. Because it derives from a verb, however, it also acts like a verb on a diagram and is also situated on a straight horizontal line, along with any object that might follow it (if it derives from a transitive verb).
Note how a participial will answer the question What kind? or Which? This is how you know its behaving as an adjective.

PARTICIPLES and PARTICIPIAL PHRASES

Heres an example of a past participle that modifies the object noun in a Simple Sentence; however, the participle was derived from an intransitive verb, so it takes no object. Note how it is, both, on a diagonal line and on a horizontal one, because it is, both, a modifier and like a verb.

INFINITIVES and INFINITIVE PHRASES

INFINITIVE PHRASES are not difficult to diagram, but they tend to be a little tricky to identify because they can assume the role of three different parts of speech: nouns, adjectives, and adverbs. They are certainly not verbs, in any case. Additionally, many students confuse the Infinitive Particle to (which should always precede an infinitive) with the Preposition to. They are not related, and writers simply need to make a mental note of this and remember to distinguish the two. Like other verbals, infinitives can take an object if they derive from transitive verbs, and this must be accounted for in the diagram. Also like other verbals, infinitives are diagrammed on tripods.

INFINITIVES and INFINITIVE PHRASES: Nouns

When an INFINITIVE can be used as an answer to the question What? or Who? it takes the role of a NOUN and suggests an action as a concept--one of the four ways of defining a noun: person, place, thing, or concept. (In this respect, it is used in the same way as a GERUND.) In the following example, an infinitive acts as the subject of a Simple Sentence; since only nouns and pronouns can ever be subjects, it is clear that the infinitive is behaving like a noun, and its predicate verb is takes.

INFINITIVES and INFINITIVE PHRASES: Adjectives

When an INFINITIVE answers the question Which? or Whose? it takes the role of an adjective and modifies a noun. In the following example, an ADJECTIVAL INFINITIVE PHRASE describes the subject of a Simple Sentence. [Note: Just as adverbs can modify verbs, they can also modify verbals; the infinitive to beat is modified by the adverbial phrase this year because it answers the question When?]

INFINITIVES and INFINITIVE PHRASES: Adverbs

When an INFINITIVE answers the question How? or When? it is often an adverb and modifies a verb, adjective or, in rarer cases, another adverb. This first example demonstrates the most common adverbial infinitive phrase: modifying a verb. Note how it answers why they attended; this is how you know it modifies the verb attend.

INFINITIVES and INFINITIVE PHRASES: Adverbs

This example demonstrates shows a less common variety of adverbial infinitive phrase: one that modifies an adjective.
The adjective being modified in this case is a past participle (a word that was a verb but is now a modifier).

INFINITIVES and INFINITIVE PHRASES: Adverbs

This next example demonstrates a rarer variety of adverbial infinitive phrase: one that modifies another adverb. Note how the infinitive phrases answers the question, How much too greatly? Remember, answering the question How is a clue that the word or phrase is an adverb.

COMPOUND SENTENCES
The separate clauses of compound sentences are split and stacked, and connected by the coordinating conjunction.

Diagramming Compound Sentences

COMPLEX SENTENCES
Long, dashed diagonal lines connect Subordinate Clauses and often mark Subordinating Conjunctions.

COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES
The separate clauses of compound sentences are split and stacked, and connected by the coordinating conjunction. Long, dashed diagonal lines connect Subordinate Clauses and often mark Subordinating Conjunctions. EXAMPLE: Sue left school early because she felt ill, but her mother brought her back later because her daughter was faking her symptoms.