15 Sentences Using Compound Subjects and Compound Verbs

If you’ve come here looking for 15 sentences using compound subjects and compound verbs, I’ll do you one even better than that. Below, you’ll find 15 sentences using compound subjects and 15 sentences using compound verbs. But let’s start by defining compound subjects and compound verbs.

What Is a Compound Subject?

The subject of a sentence is generally defined as the noun or pronoun engaging in the activity of the verb. For example, study the following sentences:

• Beth reads very slowly.
• She reads very slowly.

In the first sentence, “Beth” is the subject. In the second sentence, “She” is the subject. In both sentences, the subject is engaged in the activity of reading.

When a sentence has two or more subjects, that’s called a “compound subject.” The individual subjects in a compound subject are joined by a coordinating conjunction (and,  or, neither/nor). When the subjects are joined by “and,” the verb agrees with the pronoun “they.”

• Joanie and Chachi love each other. (NOT Joanie and Chachi loves each other.)

When the subjects are joined by “or” or “neither/nor,” the verb agrees with the subject that is closest to the verb.

• The piano or the book case has to go.
• The piano or the tables have to go.
• Neither the pillows nor the curtains match the couch.
• Neither the pillows nor the blanket looks good in this room.

What Is a Compound Verb?

A compound verb, or compound predicate, is used when the subject does more than one thing. You could write separate sentences for each verb, but if the subject is the same, that’s just not necessary. For example:

• John paints beautifully. + John sells his work from time to time. = John paints beautifully and sells his work from time to time.

Compound verbs, like compound subjects, are also combined with a coordinating conjunction. The above example used “and,” but you can also use other conjunctions.

• Mike either lies all the time or has the most extraordinary life I’ve ever seen.
• Alice neither likes the water nor has any plans to get in it.

15 Sentences Using Compound Subjects and Compound Verbs

The following 15 sentences use compound subjects:

1. Potato chips and cupcakes are bad for you.
2. Uncle Jim, Aunt Sue and my cousin Jake went to Jamaica on vacation.
3. Beth and Kendra read very slowly.
4. The boots by the door and the flip-flops in the living room need to be put away.
5. Neither the boots by the door nor the flip-flops in the living room will be here any more if you don’t put them away.
6. Neither a tall man nor a short man lives in that house.
7. Neither wind nor rain nor sleet nor hail can stop the US Postal Service from delivering the mail.
8. Neither the rugs downstairs nor the carpet upstairs has been vacuumed.
9. Either you or your brother is going to be punished.
10. Either the chicken or the beef in the freezer needs to be thawed for dinner tonight.
11. Either the matches or the candles caused the fire.
12. Either a rat or the gerbil keeps chewing up all my socks!
13. Everything on the bed and everything in the closet was organized in under an hour.
14. Nobody in the bank and nobody in the store saw the accident.
15. Anyone soccer team and anybody on the basketball team is eligible for the scholarship.

The following 15 sentences use compound verbs:

1. The “victim” sprayed her assailant with pepper spray, punched him in the nose, kicked him in the groin, and ripped out his nipple ring.
2. Last night, we drank a bottle of wine and watched a movie.
3. Every Sunday, Sherri goes to the store and buys food for the week.
4. My cats lie around all day and run around all night.
5. Her husband fixes things that break around the house, irons better than she does, and bakes the best apple crisp you’ve ever tasted.
6. I either get a lot done during the day or do nothing at all.
7. The weekend either flies by or drags on forever, depending on what you’re doing.
8. The rain here either mists or drenches.
9. Someone either hit my car with a shopping basket or backed into it as they were leaving.
10. Stay or go; I don’t care which.
11. He neither wants nor needs to take a vacation.
12. They neither have the money nor want to give it to him.
13. Carol neither likes nor dislikes the wall color.
14. She neither eats nor drinks nor sleeps nor talks to anyone since he left.
15. We have neither seen each other nor spoken since our first date.

English speakers do just about everything they can to shorten, tighten and speed up what they want to say. By using compound subjects and compound verbs, they do just that. Hopefully studying these 15 sentences using compound subjects and compound verbs will help you to communicate more efficiently as well.