The Compound Subject
Recognize a compound subject when you find one.
Every verb in a sentence must have at least one subject. But that does not mean that a verb can have only one subject. Some verbs are greedy as far as subjects go. A greedy verb can have two, three, four, or more subjects all to itself.
When a verb has two or more subjects, you can say that the verb has a compound subject.
Consider these examples:
At the local ice cream parlor, Marsha gasped at the sight of pickle slices on her banana split.
Marsha = subject; gasped = verb.
At the local ice cream parlor, Jenny and Marsha gasped at the sight of pickle slices on their banana splits.
Jenny, Marsha = compound subject; gasped = verb.
At the local ice cream parlor, Officer Jenkins, Mrs. Lowery, the Williams twins, Harold, Billy Jo, Jenny, and Marsha gasped at the sight of pickle slices on their banana splits.
Officer Jenkins, Mrs. Lowery, the Williams twins, Harold, Billy Jo, Jenny, Marsha = compound subject; gasped = verb.
©1997 - 2024 by Robin
L. Simmons
All Rights Reserved.