Labeling the Main Parts of a Sentence

  • Subject - ______
  • Verb - ______
  • Direct Object - ______
  • Indirect Object - ______
  • Objective Compliment- ______
  • Predicate Nominative- ______
  • Predicate Adjective- ______

Step One – Cross out any prepositional phrases.

  • Prepositional phrases begin with a preposition and end with a noun.
  • Common prepositions: of, with, to, for,by, at, on, in, around, through, across

Step Two – Identify the verb and the subject.

  • If the verb is an action verb, move to steps three, four, and five.
  • If the verb is a linking verb, skip to step six.
  • Linking verbs: am, are, is, were, was, be, have been, has been, appears, seems, looks, tastes, smells, sounds, feels

Step Three – Look for a direct object.

  • Read the sentence. Ask yourself, “The subject verb what?”
  • Example: Lola painted the waffles with syrup.
  • Lola painted the waffles with syrup.
  • Lola (subject) painted (verb) the waffles.
  • Lola painted what?
  • Waffles
  • The direct object is waffles.

Step Four – Look for an indirect object.

  • If there was a direct object, read the sentence again to see if there is an indirect object. (An indirect object can never come after a preposition.)
  • Ask yourself, “To whom/what was the verb done?”
  • Example: Larry gave Lola a bunny rabbit.
  • Larry gave Lola a bunny rabbit.
  • Larry (subject) gave (verb) Lola a bunny rabbit.
  • Larry gave what?
  • Rabbit
  • The direct object is rabbit.
  • To whom did Larry give the rabbit? (Think: to ______)
  • Lola
  • The indirect object is Lola.

Step Five – Look for an objective complement.

  • Read the sentence again and look at the verb. If you see one of these verbs, you might find an objective complement: appoint, call, choose, consider, elect, find, keep, make, name, think
  • Are there any words that describe or give more information about the direct object?
  • Example: The pug’s snarf makes Winnie unique.
  • The pug’s snarf (subject) makes (verb) Winnie unique.
  • The snarf makes what?
  • Winnie
  • The direct object is Winnie.
  • What does the word “unique” describe?
  • Winnie
  • The objective complement is unique because it describes Winnie, the direct object.

Step Six – If you have a linking verb, look for a subject complement, either the predicate nominative or the predicate adjective.

  • Read the sentence again. Is the word after the linking verb a noun or an adjective?
  • Example: Winnie is cute.
  • Winnie (subject) is (linking verb) cute.
  • Is “cute” a noun or an adjective?
  • Adjective
  • “Cute” is the predicate adjective.
  • Example: Her friends are dogs.
  • Her friends (subject) are (linking verb) dogs.
  • Is “dogs” a noun or an adjective?
  • Noun
  • “Dogs” is the predicate nominative.