Writer's Choice Grade 7

Unit 18: Diagraming Sentences

Overview

When you diagram something, you label its parts on a picture. In order to understand how a flower works, your science teacher might have you study or label its parts on a diagram. When you use sentence diagrams, you can show the relationships between each word, phrase, or clause in a sentence. All sentences can be diagramed.

You need only a few lines to diagram a simple sentence. Follow these steps to diagram a 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. Divide the baseline between the subject and verb with a vertical line. This line splits 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.