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Diagramming Sentences
QUICK INTRODUCTION

Subjects and Verbs

Subject verb divider line

subject verb

Base line

This is the most basic element of a diagram. Every sentence must have this
base line and some form of a subject and verb.

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Subjects and Verbs: Intransitive verb

Jesus wept.

Subject verb divider line

Base line

Subjects and Verbs: Intransitive verb

Life triumphed.

Subject verb divider line

Base line

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Subjects and Verbs: Intransitive verb

Life triumphed.

Subject verb divider line

Base line

Subjects and Verbs: base line

A diagram of a sentence may include phrases or even clauses that require multiple base lines. Typically you
stack the base lines horizontally as this conserves space and emphasizes the relationship between the
clauses or phrases

Christ arose and death was defeated.

A dotted line is used to
show the connection
Christ arose between the clauses. .

and
The helping verb and
the main verb are
death was defeated place together on the
base line.

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Subjects and Verbs: Intransitive verb

If there is no coordinating conjunction, then join the clauses with just a dotted line.

Christ arose; death was defeated.

Christ arose

death was defeated

Subjects and Verbs: base line

If the second clause is dependent, then place the subordinating conjunction
along the dotted line.

Death was defeated because Christ arose.

Death was defeated

Christ arose

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Adverbs and Adjectives

The next easiest thing to add is basic modifiers (adjectives and adverbs).

subject verb

Adjectives are
diagramed under
the nouns they Adverbs are diagramed
modify. on lines underneath the
words they modify.

Adverbs and Adjectives

The sun beamed very brightly.

sun beamed

Adjectives are
diagramed under
the nouns they Adverbs are diagramed
modify. on lines underneath the
words they modify.

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Subjects and Verbs: base line

Appositives are a slightly more confusing kind of modifier. They normally rename nouns
by sitting directly behind of them. They can come as phrases and they can occur anywhere a noun can be.
They are diagrammed by placing them in parenthesis after the noun they modify.

The king, David, danced.

king (David) danced

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Subjects and Verbs: base line

When the appositive is phrase is it diagrammed by placing the pedestal for the phrase
in parenthesis after the noun it modifies.

David, who triumphed often, danced.

who triumphed

David ( ) danced

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Direct Objects
The direct object marker
goes perpendicular to
the base line and does
not transverse the base
line.

subject verb direct object

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Direct Objects

God promised redemption.

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Indirect Objects

subject verb direct object

indirect object

The indirect object goes

Remember to place an under the verb it relates
“x” in parenthesis on the to on a line parallel to
descending line. the base line connected
by a short forward-
slanted line.

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Indirect Objects

God promised man redemption.

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Retained Objects

subject verb (will be passive) retained object

When a sentence with a direct object is switched to passive voice the object is
sometimes left in its original position, but the sentence is changed so that the object is
no longer receiving action done by the subject so the remaining object is called a
retained object.

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Retained Objects
Man was promised redemption.

Man was promised

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Objective Complements

subject verb direct object objective complement

Objective complements
are placed after a
backward slanted line
that comes between
them and the direct
object.

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Objective Complements
Eve considered the fruit desirable.
The teacher considered the students capable.
God made Eden perfect.

God made Eden perfect

Remember that the trick to recognizing an objective complement is to ask

if you can insert “to be” or “seems” between the direct object and an
adjective that comes after the direct object.

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Predicate Nominative and Predicate Adjective

Predicate adjectives and predicate nominative both go on

the base line after a line that is similar to the direct object
marker but is slanted back to the verb.

subject verb PN & PA

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Predicate Nominative and Predicate Adjective

Eden was beautiful.

Eden was beautiful

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Predicate Nominative and Predicate Adjective

Eden was a garden.

Eden was garden

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Predicate Nominative and Predicate Adjective

Adam and Eve became ashamed.

Adam
became ashamed
and

Eve
Note the “rocketship.” This is how a compound subject or any other
grammatical element that has multiple elements functioning in the
same way should be diagrammed.

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Preposition and the Object of a Preposition

subject verb

object of a preposition

This tail on the slanted line

distinguishes the preposition
from the indirect object.
Joe ran in the rain.

Joe ran

rain

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Verbals: Gerunds
Gerunds are the easy verbals because the come in only one form (verb stem + “ing”) and the do
only one kind of thing (they function as nouns).

ger
und Object of the gerund

subject verb

This is an example of a gerund

used as a direct object. In this
example the gerund has an object
as well. Typically if a gerund is
placed above the baseline of the
sentence it is put on stilts if it
occurs below the baseline stilts are
not needed.

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Verbals: Gerunds

Sam loves running bases.

run ning bases

Sam loves

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Verbals: Gerunds
Here is an example of the gerund as the subject.
Loving the right things is an
Lov ing indication of spiritual maturity.
things

is indication
maturity

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Verbals: Gerunds
If the gerund must be diagrammed under the base line the stilts are not necessary.
Remember to keep the stepped line.

The Devil deceived Eve by lying.

Devil deceived Eve

ly i
ng

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Verbals: Participles
Participles have a verb stem end with -ing, -d, -ed, -t, or –en. They always function as adjectives.
They should be diagramed along a line that is similar to the line prepositions are diagrammed on.
As with other verbals and verbs participles can have objects. In the example, “song” is the object.

Singing a song she walked along.

she walked

ing song

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Verbals: Participles

Eve looked longingly at the tree.

Eve looked

tree
ingly

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Verbals: Infinitives
Infinitives are created by placing a “to” in front of a verb form. Infinitives can function as nouns,
adverbs, or as adjectives. They are diagrammed just like the other verbals. They can have
objects and they must be diagrammed on pedestals if they occur on the sentence or clause base
line.

Verb form object of infinitive

The infinitive has three

parts; the infinitive marker
(to), the verb form, and verb
often an object.

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Verbals: Infinitives

To love God is the greatest commandment.

God

The infinitive has three commandment

parts; the infinitive marker
(to), the verb form, and
often an object.

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Verbals: Infinitives (with a separate subject)

In some cases infinitives phrases can have their own subject. Here is an example of an
infinitive phrase with a subject of its own being used as direct object.

God wanted Moses to lead his people well.

Moses
lead people

God wanted

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Verbals: Infinitives (adverbial with modified object)

The fruit looked good enough to make one wise.

fruit looked good

make one

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Noun Clauses
Noun clauses can be some of the trickiest clauses to master in diagrams because the can show up
in so many places and often without warning. They usually start with a relative pronoun or noun clause identifiers.
Sometimes like in this sentence there is no warning.

I hope the examples are helpful.

examples are helpful

I hope

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Independent elements
While there are several kinds of independent elements in sentences, the two kinds of elements
that occur most often in sentences and have no grammatical relationship to the rest of the sentence are the
noun of direct address and the interjection. These elements are diagramed on an isolated line above the base line.

John, close the door.

John

(you) close door

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Independent elements
While there are several kinds of independent elements in sentences, the two kinds of elements
that occur most often in sentences and have no grammatical relationship to the rest of the sentence are the
noun of direct address and the interjection. These elements are diagramed on an isolated line above the base line.

Boy, I love diagramming!

Boy

I love diagramming

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Red the rhino ran over the savannah.

Appositives are diagrammed after
the noun they rename.

Red (rhino) ran

savannah

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A possum quickly ate the juicy slugs and slippery leaves.

slugs

possum ate
and

leaves

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The overweight penguin was given a medal for winning the tofu eating contest.

penguin was given medal

ning contest

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