VERBS

338. Co-ordinate conjunctions are also used to connect verbs. Verbs connected in this way have the same subject; and with the use of the conjunction to connect the verbs, we save repeating the subject.

In this sentence reads and studies are words of the same kind and of the same rank; either could be omitted and the other would make a predicate for the sentence. They are of equal importance in the sentence and are connected by the conjunction and. They have a single subject, the pronoun he.

This is called a compound predicate.

In the sentence, He reads constantly, we have a simple predicate, the single verb reads; but in the sentence, He reads and studies constantly, we have a compound predicate, compound of the two verbs reads and studies. A sentence may have both a compound subject and a compound predicate. As, for example:

In this sentence John and James is the compound subject of both the verbs, read and study. So we have a compound subject and a compound predicate.

Exercise 5

Notice the verbs in the following sentences connected by co-ordinate conjunctions. Draw lines under each compound predicate.

  1. The days come and go in a ceaseless round.
  2. The brave man dreams and dares to live the dream.
  3. The coward dreams but dares not live the dream.
  4. We produce splendidly but distribute miserably.
  5. The bought press twists and distorts the facts.
  6. Only a traitor aids or supports the enemy.
  7. We agitate and educate for the cause of liberty.