1. Find the verb and its subject.
2. Look immediately after the verb for an attached object ending.
3. Read the ending by person, number, and gender.
4. Check special joining: نِي, ضَرَبُوهُ, and ضَرَبْتُمُوهُ.
Then read any prepositional phrase as a relation connected with the verb. This keeps the sentence roles clear before you make an idiomatic translation.