Diagramming Sentences

Sentence Diagrams

~ One Way of Learning English Grammar ~

The Basics of Sentence Diagramming

~ Sentences 11-15 ~
 
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Sentence 11: He is courteous.
Like the predicate nominative, the predicate adjective follows a linking verb. In diagrams, it is also preceded by a slash that extends from upper left to lower right and rests upon the horizontal line.

Sentence 12: He is extremely courteous.
An adverb is a word that modifies adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and prepositions (more about prepositional modifiers later). In this sentence, extremely, an adverb, modifies the predicate adjective courteous.

Sentence 13: They laugh often.
The adverb often modifies the verb laugh. Adverbs modifying predicate adjectives and verbs are diagrammed on a slanted line extending down from left to right from the adjective or verb.

Sentence 14: Her very good friend is courteous.
In diagrams, adverbs modifying attributive adjectives (adjectives placed before the nouns they modify) and other adverbs are hooked onto the adjectives and adverbs. In this sentence, very modifies the attributive adjective good. Had the same adverb been used in the previous sentence to modify often, a similar hook would have been used.

Sentence 15: The teacher seems tired.
Tired is a predicate adjective because seems is a linking verb. A similar linking verb is appears.
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