Can a simple sentence have more than one subject or verb?
A simple sentence can have a compound subject or verb, or both. A compound subject or verb has two or more parts joined by a word like and, but or or. When the subject is compound, the subjects are sharing the verb: • Sarah and Tiffany raised the sail. When the verb is compound, the subject is performing both actions: • The wind had fallen but was rising quickly by late afternoon. Both the subject and verb can be compound. In that case, the subjects are sharing in all the actions named: • Gulls and terns circled overhead or floated on the water. Since all the subjects go with the same verb and all the verbs with the same subject, each example forms only one complete thought—that is, one sentence.
