Diagraming sentence

Posted by Fred on February 29, 2004

In Reply to: Diagraming sentence posted by sphinx on February 29, 2004

: : : Would you please explain this picture? (Several words are enough, please don't trouble yourself to write an abundant answer.)

: : At one time english grammar was taught in an almost mathematical sense.
: : Teachers would break a sentence into parts--subject, predicate or verb and object. These pieces were placed on a line with a "|" separating the pieces from each other.
: : The illustration, which I posted orginally, is not a good one since it it a bit complicated for esl.
: : The sentence above is "See spot run".
: : The you is understood so is put in parenthesis.

: : This is better:
: : I hit Jim.
: : The diagram is;
: : I | hit | Jim

: : Hope this explains it.
: : b

: But what about the picture? A teacher and a running cow? (sheep?)

: And what does "See spot run" mean?

Capitalize 'spot'. Spot is an animal with a spot on its side. But I'm having
trouble with the picture too. 'See Spot run' seems to me to be an imperative
sentence. It's issuing a directive. To me it is not a declarative sentence saying
that you actually see Spot running. The diagram suggests that the imperative
sentence is a declarative sentence.