Overview

In order to understand the function of a flower, you would probably have to study or label its parts on a diagram. In a similar manner, by diagraming sentences you can better understand the parts of a sentence and how they function within the whole. Using a sentence diagram you can illustrate the relationships among the individual words, phrases, or clauses in sentences. All sentences can be diagramed, including simple sentences, sentences with phrases, and sentences with clauses.

Follow the following steps to diagram a simple sentence: First, find the subject. Then, find the action or linking verb that goes with the subject. Next, write the subject and verb on a horizontal line, called a baseline. Bisect the baseline between the subject and verb with a vertical line. This line shows the division between the complete subject and the complete predicate. From this beginning diagram, each word, phrase, or clause can be branched off the baseline to show the relationship of each part to the whole.