Author: Drama Queen

English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
List only the subjects and the verbs in each of the following sentences. Some sentences contain a compound subject or compound verb. Remember that some sentences may contain the subject (you).

	Subject	Verb
1. The angry lion growled at its tamer.	____________________	___________________
2. Men and women were working side by side on the assembly line.	____________________	___________________
3. The soldiers in formation on the parade ground were standing at strict attention.	____________________	___________________
4. Mont St. Michel lies off the coast of Brittany.	____________________	___________________
5. Wait for me at the bus station.	____________________	___________________
6. The crippled plane landed in a pasture.	____________________	___________________
7. Many in the audience laughed at the actor’s mistake.	____________________	___________________
8. General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox, Virginia, on April 9, 1865.	____________________	___________________
9. Stop for all red lights.	____________________	___________________
10. Deer and other animals roam freely through the San Diego Zoo.	____________________	___________________
11. Lunch was served promptly at 1:oo p.m.	____________________	___________________
12. Most of the lawyers in the group had been educated at Eastern colleges.	____________________	___________________
13. Last summer we climbed to the top of Mount Rainier in Washington.	____________________	___________________
14. Don’t jump to conclusions.	____________________	___________________
15. Several huge boulders had fallen onto the highway.	____________________	___________________
16. The cost of meat and eggs has been steadily rising.	____________________	___________________
17. Anxious families stood nearby and waited for news of the trapped miners.	____________________	___________________
18. John Steinbeck and his dog traveled across the country in a camper.	____________________	___________________
19. A pound of cheese and a gallon of cider had been left in the basket by a forgetful shopper.	____________________	___________________
20. After a few minutes the professor returned to her desk and continued with her work.	____________________	___________________

English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Diagramming
A diagram is a picture of something that shows the relationship between its parts. A map, for example, is a diagram that pictures the cities and highways of a certain area as dots and lines. A blueprint for a house of building is another kind of diagram.
A diagram of a sentence is a picture that uses lines to show how various words function and how they relate to each other. The basic parts of every sentence — the subject and the verb — are also the basic parts of every diagram.
S V
Sentence: Lemonade refreshes.
Diagram: Lemonade refreshes.
S V V
Sentence: Emily is resting.
Diagram: Emily is resting.
V
Sentence: Help!
Diagram: (You) Help
The diagram for a sentence with a compound subject looks like this:
Sentence: Maureen and Jack were arguing.
Diagram:
The diagram for a sentence with a compound verb looks like this:
Sentence: Sally swims, jogs, and bicycles.
Diagram:
Notice that a vertical line always divides the subject and the verb.
Of course, most sentences contain more words than just subjects and verbs. As you learn what other parts a sentence can have, you will also learn how to diagram those parts.

English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Sentence Diagramming
Diagram only the subjects and the verbs in the following sentences.
The grand marshal marched at the head of the parade.
2. Clothing and jewelry from China were on display at Fischler’s Department Store.
3. An officer in a dress uniform was standing alone on the pavilion.
4. Write neatly on your application papers.
5. The winner of the tennis match and her coach posed for photographs and waved to the admiring crowd.
6. The first permanent English colony in North America was established at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607.
7. Even exotic plants and trees will grow well in the controlled climate of a greenhouse.
8. Elizabeth sat on the park bench and waited for her sister.
9. Who spoke at the awards dinner?
10. Dr. Carruthers and his three assistants volunteered for the experiment but were rejected by the screening committee.
11. After the storm the garden was littered with fallen leaves.
12. My mother and I traveled by express bus to Milwaukee.
13. Everyone in favor of the decision stood and cheered.
14. A cot and a small dresser were provided for each of the recruits.
15. At the end of the debate, the President and the attorney general met outside the conference room and spoke privately.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
The Direct Object
In many sentences a noun or pronoun follows the verb and tells who or what receives the action of the verb:
The wild pitch hit Pete Agronsky on the elbow.
Someone has broken the living-room window.
Jack will replace it over the weekend.
The verbs in these sentences — hit, has broken, will replace — are all action verbs. The subjects — pitch, Someone, Jack — tell who or what performed the action. The words that tell who or what received the action — Pete Agronsky, window, it — are called direct objects.
The basic diagram of a sentence containing a subject, verb, and direct object looks like this:
S V DO
Sentence: The crowd cheered the performers.
Diagram: crowd cheered performers
S V DO DO
Sentence: The butcher wrapped the steaks and the hamburger in brown paper.
steaks
Diagram: butcher wrapped
hamburger
Notice that the vertical line between the verb and the direct object stops at the base line of the diagram.
Finding the direct object in some sentences may cause you trouble. For example:
S V DO
He saw Beth out of the corner of his eye.
S V DO
The overturned truck blocked two lanes of the expressway.
In the first sentence, Beth doesn’t really “receive” the action in a physical way. Yet Beth is the direct object, because it answers the question “saw whom?” In the second sentence lanes, not expressway, is the direct object. Lanes directly answers the question “blocked what?”; expressway is the object of the preposition of.
He saw Beth truck blocked lanes
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Direct Objects
List the subjects, verbs, and direct objects in the following sentences. Label each subject with “S,” each verb with “V,” and each direct object with “DO.” Then diagram the subject, verb, and direct object in each sentence.
Example: Bruce Jenner won the decathlon in the 1976 Olympics.
S V DO
Answer: Bruce Jenner won decathlon
Bruce Jenner won decathlon
Example: The scuba diver speared three bluefish and a stingray.
S V DO DO
Answer: diver speared bluefish stingray
bluefish
Answer: diver speared
stingray
The ambulance took the injured woman to the hospital.
2. The heavy snows had completely blocked our driveway.
3. Somebody has damaged the canoe and one of the tent poles.
4. On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall found traces of gold at Sutter’s Mill in California.
5. Many people invested their time and energy in the new rehabilitation program.
6. Bob was picking apples in his father’s orchard.
7. People in many neighborhoods give money at Halloween.
8. In 1845 Henry Thoreau built a small cabin on the shore of Walden Pond.
9. Unfortunately, no one at the auction bought our roll-top desk or Grandma’s cut-glass bowl.
10. Several of the guards had given their passkeys to unauthorized personnel.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
The Subject Complement
Notice the differences in the following pairs of sentences:
Hank drove the motorcycle around the track.
Hank was a guard at the swimming pool last year.
Shana bought those Thanksgiving cards last May.
Shana seems upset today.
Phil owns three nearly new tents.
This old tent is mine.
The first sentence in each pair includes a subject, an action verb, and a direct object that receives the action of the verb. But look at the verb in the second sentence in each pair. Neither was, seems, nor is conveys any action; such verbs are called linking verbs. The noun, adjective, or pronoun that follows a linking verb — guard, upset, mine — is called a subject complement. Instead of receiving the action of the verb as a direct object does, a subject complement identifies or describes the subject:
S LV SC
Cheryl Ann is the only girl in the family.
Cheryl Ann is girl
S LV SC SC
The shower felt cool and refreshing.
cool
shower felt
refreshing
Did you notice the slanted lines immediately after the verbs? These show that the subject complement refers back to the subject.
If you are looking for the subject complement in a sentence, look first for the linking verb. The most commonly used linking verb is the verb be, some of whose different forms are is, are, was, were, am, be, been, will be, have been, and is being. Other verbs that sometimes function as linking verbs are taste, turn, appear, run, smell, feel, look, sound, become, and grow. These other verbs, however, can also be used as action verbs and take direct objects, depending on the meaning of the sentence.
S V DO
Action verb: Flora McDonald grows tulips in her garden.
S LV SC
Linking verb: Cora grows thinner every day.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Subject Complements
List the subjects, linking verbs, and subject complements in the following sentences. Label each subject with “S,” each linking verb with “LV,” and each subject complement with “SC.” Then diagram the subject, linking verb, and subject complement in each sentence.
Example: Mr. Barnes is the treasurer of the Rotary Club.
S LV SC
Answer: Mr. Barnes is treasurer
Mr. Barnes is treasurer
Example: His story sounds suspicious and unlikely.
S LV SC
Answer: story sounds suspicious, unlikely
suspicious
story sounds
unlikely
The material for the drapes feels silky.
The kiwi is a flightless bird of New Zealand.
3. The lawyer for the defense was jubilant over the verdict.
4. Before her graduation speech, Alicia looked nervous and upset.
5. Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon.
6. Rockford is the second largest city in Illinois.
7. The red car in front of the house must be theirs.
8. Nearly all of the clothes in her wardrobe are beige or blue.
9. This message from Dr. Kildare sounds important.
10. After an hour in a gasoline line, most drivers become impatient and irritable.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Sentences
Label the subjects, verbs, linking verbs, direct objects, and subject complements in each sentence with “S,” “V,” “LV,” “DO,”, or “SC.” Then diagram each of those elements in the following sentences.
Mrs. Kincaid remained angry for several weeks after the argument.
2. After the departure of the baby-sitter, the four children felt content.
3. My stepfather grows a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in the garden in our backyard.
4. On closer inspection, however, the twenty-dollar bill looked counterfeit.
5. In the customs office, Jake turned his briefcase over to officials.
6. Cynthia grows more anxious about her chances with every tick of the clock.
7. Only the mother of the bride seemed happy.
8. To my surprise he looked me in the eye.
9. The hostile crowd became silent at the sound of the gong.
10. The long, serious talk with his mother turned him into a more pleasant individual.
11. Doug’s shirt looks purple in that light.
12. Leonardo da Vinci drew the first designs for an airplane and a machine gun.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Indirect Objects
Study the following pairs of sentences:
Mort gave the ball to Chuck.
Mort gave Chuck the ball.
Harriet saved some cake for me.
Harriet saved me some cake.
In the first sentence of each pair, the words Chuck and me are the objects of the prepositions to and for. In the second sentence of each pair, however, Chuck and me no longer appear in prepositional phrases. Instead, they stand alone between the verb and the direct object. In these sentences Chuck and me, which tell to whom and for whom without being in a prepositional phrase, are called indirect objects.
It is important to remember that the indirect object must come before the direct object. If there is only one object following the verb, it is a direct object.
The basic diagram of a sentence containing an indirect object looks like this:
S V IO DO
Mrs. Okuda brought her neighbor some chicken soup.
Mrs. Okuda brought soup
neighbor
S V IO IO DO
The principal gave Tom and me another chance.
principal gave chance
Tom
me
What is the difference between the direct object and the indirect object? The direct object receives the action expressed by the verb. The indirect object, as its name suggests, receives the action of the verb indirectly—through the direct object. For example:
IO DO
Ralph bought Jennifer a sandwich.
IO DO
Joe sold me his watch.
In these sentences sandwich and watch, the direct objects, are receiving the actions—bought and sold. Jennifer and me, the indirect objects, receive the sandwich and the watch.
Ralph bought sandwich
Jennifer
Joe sold watch
me
In the following sentences, label each subject with “S,” each verb with “V,” each indirect object with “IO,” and each direct object with “OO” Then diagram the subject, verb, indirect object, and direct object in each sentence.
Shirley washed the car for her father.
2. Greg sent Rosie a silver ring.
3. The elderly woman offered Mary and Joan some money for their help.
4. The commander gave his troops a tough assignment.
5. The boss promised her employees a raise in pay.
6. Tell me the truth right now!
7. Mr. Alexander will pay John fifteen dollars a week for his work.
8. The woman in the corner house feeds her dogs very expensive meat.
9. Mrs. Shaw explained the parts of the diagram to Orla and Nick.
10. We told your cousins our reactions to this piece of news.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Direct Objects—Extra Practice
The senator has obviously changed her mind about the energy bill.
2. Bobbi drove her brother and sister to the store for some groceries.
3. In 1588 a small English fleet totally defeated the Spanish Armada.
4. The postcard from Aunt Phyllis showed a picture of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
5. We usually order sandwiches and milk for lunch.
6. The Chinese team challenged the Americans to a table-tennis tournament.
7. Tina wanted a new pair of roller skates for her birthday.
8. Everyone at the party ignored Bert’s rude comments.
9. Henry Ford revolutionized the automobile industry with his mass-production assembly line.
10. In biology class we are dissecting frogs and crayfish.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Subject Complements—Extra Practice
Maria will be happy with her new minibike.
2. Carl’s parents seemed angry about the telegram.
3. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is mostly forest land.
4. Grandma’s spaghetti sauce tasted spicy but delicious.
5. Her excuse sounded made-up.
6. The suitcase in the back seat is his.
7. Judy turned pale at the news of her brother’s arrest.
8. After the race, Fran and I felt weak and tired.
9. New York City was once the capital of the United States.
10. Carlos was the winner and new champion of the chess tournament.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Indirect Objects—Extra Practice
The shipping-room clerk handed them a bulky package.
2. Louise bought an ice-cream sandwich for her sister.
3. The museum guide showed Martha the antique gun collection.
4. Stan threw Red a curve ball.
5. Nadine sold her old car for two hundred dollars.
6. Allen found Luz and me better seats in the balcony.
7. The army followed Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce almost to Canada.
8. The farmer fed his horses some contaminated oats by mistake.
9. I offered the new girl in class a ride in my car.
10. Jed never does anything for anyone.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Object Complements
Read the following sentences:
Robert’s friends call him “Butch.”
Your decision will make Dad happy.
As you can see, there is a new element in each sentence. This new element, a noun or an adjective, follows the direct object and gives more information about it. A noun or adjective used in this way is called an object complement.
The basic diagram of a sentence containing an object complement looks like this:
S V DO OC
The Turners named the baby Manuel.
Turners named baby Manuel
S V DO OC
Mary dyed her hair a dark red.
Mary dyed hair red
The slanted line in the diagram shows that the object complement relates to and completes the direct object. In the first sentence the object complement, the noun Manuel, gives more information about the direct object baby by telling what the baby was named. In the second sentence the object complement, the adjective red, completes the direct object hair by telling what color the hair was dyed.
Label the subjects, verbs, direct objects, and object complements in the following sentences. Then diagram only those parts of the following sentences.
The Van Dorns named their new yacht Gloriana II.
2. The players elected Luigi captain of the soccer team.
3. Evie thought the party at the Wiggenses’ dull.
4. Mr. Shea built a new stable for his Arabian horses.
5. Ezra considers himself a marksman.
6. Then the first woman called her friend a liar.
7. The millionaire left fifty thousand dollars to his bulldog.
8. Carl’s new motorcycle made his friends envious.
9. The red blouse turned the other clothes in the washer pink.
10. The referee called fouls on both players.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Object Complements — Extra Practice
Most music lovers consider Ella Fitzgerald the finest jazz singer of the past forty years.
2. The seniors voted Marjorie vice-president of the class.
3. Mazie’s constant silliness drove her parents crazy.
4. Our team has made a goat its mascot.
5. Tom Sawyer’s friends painted the fence white.
6. The children colored the fire engines yellow.
7. In 1952 the American people elected Dwight D. Eisenhower President of the United States.
8. Patty made the sleeves of the dress slightly longer.
9. The prime minister appointed Joan Feinstein director of the commission on education and welfare.
10. Pierre thought the plot of the movie very predictable.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Adjectives, Adverbs, and Prepositional Phrases
Single-word adjectives and adverbs, as well as adjective and adverb prepositional phrases, function as modifiers that expand the meaning of basis sentences:
S V
Basic sentence: A siren wailed.
Expanded: A low, mournful siren wailed in the distance.
Expanded with two adjectives and an adverb prepositional phrase.
Diagram:
siren wailed
distance
S V DO
Basic sentence: The man ate lunch.
Expanded: The energetic young man nearly always ate lunch on the run.
Expanded with two adjectives, two adverbs, and an adverb prepositional phrase.
Diagram:
man ate lunch
run
S LV SC
Basic sentence: The elephants had become restless.
Expanded: By late afternoon the captive elephants had become extremely
restless.
Expanded with an adjective, an adverb, and an adverb prepositional phrase.
Diagram:
elephants had become restless
afternoon
S V IO DO
Basic sentence: A girl sold me a ticket.
Expanded: A girl in my English class sold me a ticket for the spring concert.
Expanded with two adjective prepositional phrases.
Diagram:
girl sold ticket
class me concert
S V V DO OC
Basic sentence: Norman will paint the woodwork green.
Expanded: Norman will never paint the woodwork green again.
Expanded with two adverbs.
Norman will paint woodwork green
Example: A curious raccoon noisily overturned the pail of warm milk.
Answer: raccoon overturned pail
milk
Directions: Diagram all the words in the following sentences.
1. The fields of corn glistened brightly in the sun.
2. Steep limestone cliffs rose above the river.
3. Allison carefully watered the flowers in her garden.
4. A bright yellow moon shone on the rooftops.
5. A woman with a large, floppy hat sat quietly beside Ernesto.
6. Betty wandered aimlessly through the park.
7. Mrs. Unssen’s new car was damaged in the city garage.
8. Matthew and Jason usually play basketball until after dinner.
9. We rarely swim in Lake Michigan until early August.
10. Much of the world’s tin comes from Bolivia.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Adjectives, Adverbs, and Prepositional Phrases—Extra Practice
1. Martha told me a funny story about her sister.
2. The persistent ring of the telephone finally awakened me.
3. A tiny Chihuahua bit Ellen on the leg.
4. The mechanic listened calmly to the owner’s complaint.
5. In the fall thousands of birds migrate to the Florida Everglades.
6. Larry’s unfriendly attitude annoys most people.
7. The loose shutter flapped noisily in the wind.
8. I always pick the slowest check-out line in the grocery store.
9. Until last year Teddy Markham was my best friend.
10. Eagles usually make their nests in high, inaccessible places.
English 9
Parts of the Sentence
Name ______________________________________
Period __________
Diagramming Test
Directions: Diagram all the words in the following sentences.
1. This summer vacation has passed much too quickly.
2. The heat from the fire shattered the glass and melted most of the copper pipes.
3. Somebody drove Dr. Parr’s boat onto the rocks last night.
4. The tornado lifted the roof off the Caspersons’ garage and deposited it sideways in Mrs. Henderson’s potato patch.
5. Take this medicine only under a doctor's supervision.
6. Joe Helms brought us a whole loaf of his fantastic zucchini bread.
7. The Carters named their dog Caravaggio.
8. The neighbors once brought my father a small unsigned painting from Italy.
9. Kate considers herself an artist with words.
10. The Maldens painted their new window shutters purple.
11. We showed the conductor the crack in the window.
12. The named their place in the woods “Redwood Hill.”
13. George sent his mother some lemons and avocados from California.
14. On her trip to Scotland, Gloria bought Tom a tweed jacket with leather patches on the sleeves.
15. The poor paint job only made the small dents more noticeable.
16. The magnificent old elm behind our house was struck and felled by a bolt of lightning.
17. Someone had left a grocery bag on the back seat of the bus.
18. These beautiful roses must have been delivered to me by mistake.
19. A truck with three flat tires was blocking the freeway.
20. On the first warm day of spring, every family on the block gathers in our yard for a gigantic barbecue.