how do I diagram this sentence?
Practice good driving skillsevery day for about four months before taking the test.
2 answers
The most basic sentence contains a subject and a verb. We begin to diagram a sentence by drawing a base line beneath the subject and the verb. We separate the two by a vertical line that extends through the base line.
Here is an excellent website that explains how to diagram sentences:
http://members.cox.net/teachro/grammar/diagramming.htm
In your sentence, here are the major parts:
Subject = the understood "you" since the verb is a command and there is no written subject.
Verb = "practice"
Direct object = "skills" (modified by "good driving")
Adverb = "every day"
Prepositional phrases that modify the verb = "for about four months" and "before taking the test." (In that last prepositional phrase the object of the preposition is a gerund ["taking"], and since it's a verb form, it also has its own direct object ["test"].
Very complicated sentence!
Here are other diagram-help websites if the one above doesn't tell you everything you need:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/diagrams/diagrams.htm
Go through the PowerPoint presentation; there are also further links near the bottom of this page.
http://www.lifestreamcenter.net/DrB/Lessons/TS/diagram.htm
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(Broken Link Removed)
http://members.cox.net/teachro/grammar/diagramming.htm
In your sentence, here are the major parts:
Subject = the understood "you" since the verb is a command and there is no written subject.
Verb = "practice"
Direct object = "skills" (modified by "good driving")
Adverb = "every day"
Prepositional phrases that modify the verb = "for about four months" and "before taking the test." (In that last prepositional phrase the object of the preposition is a gerund ["taking"], and since it's a verb form, it also has its own direct object ["test"].
Very complicated sentence!
Here are other diagram-help websites if the one above doesn't tell you everything you need:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/diagrams/diagrams.htm
Go through the PowerPoint presentation; there are also further links near the bottom of this page.
http://www.lifestreamcenter.net/DrB/Lessons/TS/diagram.htm
(Broken Link Removed)
(Broken Link Removed)