How Do You Create Sentences With Compound Subjects or Predicates?
To keep your writing interesting, vary your sentence structure. If you write a lot of sentences with a simple subject-and-verb structure, your audience may nod off. You can use two easy methods to make your sentences more interesting: use compound subjects or use compound predicates. A compound subject means two or more people, places or things go before the verb. A compound predicate means two or more people, places or things go after the verb.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Compound Subjects
-
1
Describing two people doing one action requires a compound subject. Write a sentence with a compound subject by using two or more nouns before the verb. This comes in handy when describing things such as team sports or group activities. Example: Joe, Jill and Jim set up the picnic table. Ross and Roy rowed the boat.
-
2
The verb remains the same behind a compound subject. Several people can take one action. Keep the verb the same, no matter how many nouns the subject contains. Example: Ross and Roy rowed the boat. Ross, Roy, Roger and Jeremy rowed the boat.
-
-
3
Two people sharing an activity make for a good compound subject. Make these simple sentences into one sentence that has a compound subject. Fran raced on skates. Marie raced on skates. Answer: Fran and Marie raced on skates.
Compound Predicates
-
4
When a subject takes two actions, write a compound predicate. Write a compound predicate when one person, place or thing does two things. Example: Sharon sings in the shower and washes her hair. Two actions come from one subject. You can do two things at once, right? So can a sentence.
-
5
A bear can growl and chase you, and you'll need a compound predicate to tell the tale. Change the verb with a compound predicate. The two actions the subject takes require two verbs to describe the action. Example: The bear growled and chased Jim.
-
6
If you want to tell someone your dog did two things at once, you need a compound predicate. Change these simple sentences into one sentence with a compound predicate. The dog wagged his tail. The dog barked. Answer: The dog wagged his tail and barked.
Compound Subjects with Compound Predicates
-
7
Jane, Mary and Sherry floated on rafts and talked. Compound subject with compound predicate. Use a compound subject and compound predicate if two or more people take two or more actions. Example: Jerry and Joe ate ice cream and went swimming. Three nouns can do two things. Example: The bear, the dog and the cat floated on the raft and jumped off when it came ashore.
-
8
Three people can do two things at once. You need a compound subject and predicate to describe this. Combine simple sentences into compound sentences. Jim ate ice cream. Jim went swimming. Joe ate ice cream, too. Joe joined Jim in swimming. Then Billy ate ice cream. Billy went swimming, too. Change to: Jim, Joe and Billy ate ice cream and went swimming.
-
9
To describe three men travelling and fishing, you need a compound subject with a compound predicate. Combine three sentences into one by using a compound subject with a compound predicate. Ralph traveled to the mountains and fished in a stream. Randy joined him on the trip. They also invited Frank. Answer: Ralph, Randy and Frank traveled to the mountains and fished in a stream.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Donald Miralle/Photodisc/Getty Images Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images David De Lossy/Photodisc/Getty Images Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images
