diagram modifiers

Sentence Diagramming

Review and new ideas: modifiers

5 key skills

1. Identify central parts of the sentence

2. Identify relationships between those parts

3. Show relationships with correct lines in the diagram

4. Assign modifiers to each central sentence part

5. Add modifiers to each part on the diagram

You’re expected to write with slides that start

with a *

Identify parts

• There are four central parts of a sentence

– Subject– Predicate– Direct object– and sometimes, an indirect object

• Practice finding each part in the following sentences

* Identify parts

We eat.You draw?Sit down.Grab the broom.She sings the National Anthem.Did you bring me the books?The Gorillaz gave the audience a great show.

Identify parts

We eat.You draw?(you) Sit down.(you) Grab the broom.She sings the National Anthem.Did you bring me the books?The Gorillaz gave the audience a great show.

SubjectPredicate

Direct objectIndirect object

Identify parts

• The system still works for sentences with more than one of the same part, like these:

SubjectPredicate


- I have been drawing comics and dancing.- Claire and Pierre are bringing us food.- My sister cooked them macaroni and cheese and beans, and cleaned up the kitchen.- I have finished Scenes 1, 2 and 3 of Act 2!

* Identify parts

• My Dominican father and I always cooked while we listened to Spanish music.

• Every Saturday night, I played sous-chef and made rice.

• Expose yourself to different flavors.• Sosa left us an exclusive beet carpaccio recipe.• That blog offers vegetarians creative options

and delicious snacks.

SubjectPredicate


Identify parts



• (you) Expose yourself to different flavors.• Sosa left us an exclusive beet carpaccio recipe.• That blog offers new vegetarians creative

options and delicious snacks.

SubjectPredicate


Establish relationships

• Some sentences have more than one part with the same job (like two subjects or three direct objects).

• Try circling subject and predicate, underlining the direct object and boxing any indirect objects. You could also color-code, like above

- My sister cooked them macaroni and cheese and beans, and cleaned up the kitchen.- I have finished Scenes 1, 2 and 3 of Act 2!

SubjectPredicate


Show relationships

• Each part of the diagram has its own place for a reason – it shows the job of the word (or words) in the sentence.

• Incorrect diagrams ‘lie’ about the job of the word in the sentence – or make the word’s job very unclear. Try to draw diagram lines correctly.

subject predicate direct object

indirect object

cooked

cleaned

Show relationships

sister

macaroni and cheese

beansthem

I have finishedScene 1

Scene 2Scene 3

SubjectPredicate


• These two direct objects, macaroni and cheese, and beans, are only related to the action ‘cooked,’ but not cleaned. The diagram shows this with only certain lines touching.

• All three scenes are related to ‘have finished,’ so the diagram shows all three direct objects connected to one predicate.

Show relationships


cooked

listened to

father

I

we music

whileBoth father and I are related to cooked. The diagram comes together to show that both are connected to the one predicate.

SubjectPredicate


* Show relationships

Try to diagram these:




SubjectPredicate


I played sous-chef and made rice.

.

(you) Expose yourself to different flavors.

Sosa left us an exclusive beet carpaccio recipe.

That blog offers vegetarians creative options and delicious snacks.

SubjectPredicate


Assign modifiers

• Most sentences contain parts that are not central – not shown on the basic diagram. Instead, they describe or ‘add to’ (modify) the central parts. These are adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions or phrases.

• You will learn to add modifiers to the diagram. We’ll start with adjectives, which always modify nouns. Show relationships on the diagram with diagonal lines under the appropriate connection.

• First, find the adjectives in these sentences

SubjectPredicate


ConjunctionAdjective or adjective or adjective

Identify parts





SubjectPredicate



Assign modifiers





SubjectPredicate



* Assign modifiers

• Be clear about relationships between adjectives and nouns (or adverbs and verbs, adjectives or adverbs). Add diagonal lines below the baseline to show relationships.

• That blog offers new vegetarians creative options and delicious snacks.

* Practice | diagram each sentence

• My nose was runny because I had a nasty cold.• Buy me some more DayQuil!• I napped and watched some daytime tv.• I slurped tomato soup and some chai tea, and

munched a cheese melt.• My friends visited and brought me a great

movie.

diagram modifiers

Education