Compound Subject: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know what a compound subject is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on compound subjects, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What is a compound subject?

According to Your Dictionary, a compound subject is when a sentence has two or more subjects. These subjects perform the same action. With compound subjects, make sure that your subject verb agreement is still intact: a singular subject or singular noun gets a singular verb, and a plural subject or plural nouns get a plural verb in English grammar. Make sure that you use the correct conjunctions, pronouns, and verb form to go along with these noun phrases. These could include coordinate conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and more. Sentence examples can also have a compound predicate or verb phrase. Try incorporating such subjects in your own writing by learning about ti through repetition. 

Many different languages also contain words that mean compound. You may notice that some of these translations of compound look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases in different languages that likely have the same root or language of origin, causing them to sound the same. The below list of translations of compound is provided by Word Sense

  •  French: composé‎
  •  Bokmål: sammensatt‎
  •  Swedish: sammansatt‎
  •  Russian: составно́й‎, сло́жный‎
  •  Portuguese: composto‎ (masc.)
  •  Maori: pūhui‎
  •  Greek: σύνθετος‎, συμμιγής‎
  •  Dutch: samengesteld‎
  •  Slovene: sestavljen‎
  •  Finnish: yhdistetty‎, yhdys-‎; kerrannainen‎ (botany)
  •  Persian: آمیخته‎ (âmixta), همساخته‎ (hamsâxta), مرکب‎
  •  Czech: složený‎ (masc.)
  •  Bulgarian: съставен‎, сло́жен‎
  •  Italian: composto‎ (masc.), costituito‎ (masc.)
  •  Irish: comh-‎ (of words)
  •  Tagalog: langkapin‎, lambalan‎, linambal‎
  •  Spanish: compuesto‎ (masc.)

What are examples of compound subjects?

A compound subject can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of compound subject that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use.  Take a look at the following sentences of compound subject examples from Your Dictionary and see how many you can identify the compound subject in!

  •  The sofa or the chair will have to be moved to the den.
  •  Both John and George work at the steakhouse on Carver Street.
  •  Anyone in my class and anyone in Mr. Kwan’s class will be a first-rate writer.
  •  Furniture and paper are two uses for wood.
  •  Either the monkeys or the giraffes are getting a new habitat at the zoo.
  •  Both Tom and I are going on a cruise.
  •  Either fish or chicken is served at the cafeteria daily.
  •  Neither the basement nor the bedroom has been vacuumed.
  •  Either all of us or none of us go to the party.
  •  Tsunamis and hurricanes endanger people living near the coast.
  •  My best friend and I passed out the handout.
  •  The cheese and crackers will be on the charcuterie dish tomorrow. 
  •  Mom or Sharon will bring the dessert.
  •  Greece, Turkey, and Morocco are on my bucket list.
  •  Peanut butter and jelly go together well. 
  •  Bethany and the actor ate macaroni and potatoes.
  •  The nurses and Dr. James used scissors on the patient.
  •  The child and I are ham and cheese sandwiches with chips. 
  •  Baked goods or fried foods are not healthy for you.
  •  Either Taylor or Ryan is going to go with you to prom.
  •  Roses, gardenias, and jonquils bloom in Beatrice’s garden.
  •  Neither the cupcakes nor the brownies will be ready by noon.
  •  Neither the toy by the door nor the shoes in the living room need to be put away.
  •  The toothbrush on the sink and the hairbrush by the rollers need to be put away.
  •  Everything in the back seat and in the trunk needs to come in the house.
  •  Red, white, and blue are the colors of the American flag.
  •  Friendship, honesty, and love are important.
  •  Neither the pink blouse nor the blue one has any wrinkles.
  •  Nobody in the airport and nobody on the plane talked to him.
  •  Rachel, Kim, and Stacy are all on vacation in Peru.
  •  Hot soup or crackers will help you feel better.
  •  Toy Story and Cars are movies created by Pixar.
  •  Neither yellow nor red matches that comforter.
  •  Jennifer, Georgina, and Amelia run faster than the rest of the class.
  •  My books, pencils, and journals fit neatly in my backpack.
  •  Both my toothbrush and hairbrush need to be replaced.
  •  Eating, sleeping, and reading are enjoyable activities.
  •  Both Argentina and Brazil are in South America.
  •  Neither the president nor her assistant has replied to the accusation.
  •  Either you or I will collapse if we don’t start walking more slowly.
  •  The florist or I deliver flowers to the gallery each day.
  •  Either the cupcakes or brownies are baking right now.
  •  Either the brown puppy or the tan one is getting adopted.
  •  Abby or Lionel will attend the meeting and report back.
  •  Either you or your friend needs to tell me what happened.
  •  Chocolate and strawberry are my two favorite flavors of ice cream.
  •  Both men and women enjoy yoga.
  •  Both the players and coaches were satisfied with the game.
  •  Dolphins and elephants are highly intelligent creatures.
  •  Everybody 
  • https://thewordcounter.com/when-to-use-whom/ witnessed the shooting and everybody in the room was interviewed.
  •  Nobody who went and nobody who watched online liked the presentation.
  •  The spaghetti and meatballs were both undercooked.

Overall, a compound subject  is when a sentence has more than one subject. These subjects are all equal in importance and receive the same action. When using a compound subject, make sure that your subject verb agreement is still in alignment.

Sources:

  1. Glossary of grammatical terms | OED
  2. Compound Subject Examples | Your Dictionary 
  3. compound: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  4. Compound Subjects and Predicates Explained + Sample Sentences | Your Dictionary