How to Construct a Sentence With Three Subjects

In order to write a sentence with three subjects, it is important to understand sentence structure. Every sentence must have one subject and one verb or it is not a sentence. This type of sentence is called a complete sentence or an independent clause. A sentence with three subjects, and therefore three verbs, is called a compound sentence. A compound sentence combines two or more independent clauses with a conjunction. A conjunction is a word such as (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), and they conjoin independent clauses. A sentence with three subjects will need a semicolon after two conjoined sentences, so that a third independent clause can connect.

Instructions

1. Write one independent clause with one subject and one verb. For example, "The dog barked at the cat." Place a comma after the last word of the independent clause, such as after the word "cat" in the example. Make sure the first independent clause has a subject and a verb.

2. Place a conjunction after the comma of the first independent clause. Make sure the conjunction will make sense connecting the two independent clauses. Write another independent clause after the conjunction, such as "the cat climbed a tree to get away." Ensure the second independent clause can be a sentence by itself by making sure it has a subject and verb. The subject and verb in this example clause is "cat" and "climbed." Place a semicolon at the end of the sentence (after the word "away" in the example clause).

3. Place a transition word or phrase after the semicolon. Examples of transition words and phrases include however, therefore and in fact. Make sure it will make sense with the next independent phrase. Place a comma after the transition word.Write an independent clause after the transition word. Make sure the clause relates to the first two sentences. Make sure the clause also has a subject and a verb, and it can stand as a sentence by itself. For example, "therefore, the owner of the cat called the fire department to rescue the cat" can stand alone and relates to the previous independent clauses. Place a period at the end of the last independent clause.

4. Make sure all of the verbs are in the same verb tense. In the example sentence, the verbs "barked, climbed and called" are all in the past tense. Double-check the conjunction between the first two independent clauses and make sure it sounds solid. Try replacing it with other conjunctions to make sure the best one has been selected. Also, check the transition word after the semicolon to make sure it sounds strong and makes the best sense for the situation being described in the independent clause after the semicolon.

References

• Evergreen Writing Center Library: The Compound and Complex Sentence