A simple sentence can have one subject and one verb, two subjects and one verb, one subject and two verbs, or two subjects and two verbs. No matter how many subjects and verbs it has, a simple sentence usually needs only a capital letter at the beginning of the sentence and a period at the end.
Example of a simple sentence with one subject and one
verb:
Students in manufacturing engineering take a course in manufacturing
graphics.
| Subject | Verb |
|---|---|
| Students | take |
In a simple sentence with one subject and one verb, the only punctuation is usually a capital letter at the beginning of the sentence and a period at the end.
Example of a simple sentence with two subjects and one
verb:
3D CAD and rapid prototyping are taught in the manufacturing
graphics course.
| Subject 1 | Coordinating Conjunction |
Subject 2 | Verb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3D CAD | and | rapid prototyping | are taught |
Two subjects joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or) are called a compound subject. In a simple sentence with a compound subject and one verb, the only punctuation is usually a capital letter at the beginning and a period at the end.
Example of a simple sentence with one subject and two
verbs:
Students in the advanced CAD course design and draw mold cavities.
| Subject 1 | Verb 1 | Coordinating Conjunction |
Verb 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | design | and | draw |
Two verbs joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or) are called a compound verb. In a simple sentence with one subject and a compound verb, the only punctuation in the sentence is usually a capital letter at the beginning and a period at the end.
Example of a simple sentence with two subjects and two
verbs:
Heat treated alloys and non-heat treated alloys are tested and
evaluated in the metallurgy course.
| Subject 1 | Coordinating Conjunction |
Subject 2 | Verb 1 | Coordinating Conjunction |
Verb 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| heat treated alloys | and | non-heat treated alloys | are tested | and | evaluated |
In a simple sentence with a compound subject and a compound verb, the only punctuation in the sentence is usually a capital letter at the beginning and a period at the end.
Exercise: Indicate whether the punctuation in each sentence is correct or incorrect.
Back to Introduction to Sentences | Forward to Compound Sentences
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