1. Basic Structure:
* The main parts of the sentence (independent clauses) are separated by a vertical line.
* "Or" is placed on a slanted line connecting the two clauses.
Example:
"The dog barked or the cat meowed."
```
___________________
| | |
| The dog | or | the cat meowed
| barked | |
|___________|_______|
```
2. Multiple Clauses:
* If there are more than two clauses connected by "or," each clause is connected to the previous one by a separate slanted line with "or" on it.
Example:
"The dog barked or the cat meowed or the bird sang."
```
_________________________
| | | |
| The dog | or | the cat | or | the bird sang
| barked | | meowed | |
|___________|_______|________|_______|
```
3. "Or" in Phrases:
* If "or" is used within a phrase (not connecting clauses), it's simply placed in the diagram within that phrase.
Example:
"The dog barked or howled."
```
_________________
| | |
| The dog | barked | or | howled
|___________|_______|_______|
```
Remember:
* "Or" can also be used to connect other sentence elements like adjectives or adverbs. The placement in the diagram will be adjusted based on the specific structure.
* "Or" is often used in conjunction with "and" to create complex sentence structures. The diagram will reflect the specific relationship between the clauses.
By understanding the role of "or" as a coordinating conjunction, you can effectively diagram sentences that include this word.