280 STUDYING THE COMPOUND SUBJECT AND A big boy came out of the house. A Point out the simple subject in this sentence. subject is called a simple subject when it consists of only one noun or pronoun. Point out the simple predicate. A predicate is called a simple predicate when it says only one thing about a subject. Do you see any difference between this sentence and the one that follows? A boy and a girl came out of the house. How many persons are spoken of in this sentence? How many nouns are used to stand for them? How many things are said about the boy and girl? The two nouns boy and girl make up the subject of the sentence. When a subject is made up of two or more nouns or pronouns, it is called a compound subject. Compound means made of two or more parts. Compare the following sentence with the other two. A boy came out of the house and walked down the street. What is the subject of the sentence? Is it simple or compound? How many things are said about the boy? When a predicate says two or more things about a subject, it is called a compound predicate. A boy and a girl came out of the house and walked down the street. What is the subject of this sentence? Is it simple or compound? What is the predicate? Is it simple or compound? A simple sentence may have a simple subject and a simple predicate. A simple sentence may have a compound subject, a comnound predicate, or both. A compound subject is one that is made up of two or more nouns or pronouns having the same predicate. A compound predicate is one that is made up of two or more verbs having the same subject. Point out the compound subjects and the compound predicates in the following simple sentences. 1. The Indians were unfriendly to Ponce de Leon and drove him back to his ship. 2. The paper boat became soft and was torn to 3. Rats, mice, and beetles lived in the cellar. 8. He pulled very hard but could not get away. 9. David took his harp and went with the king's servants. 10. The hare ran very fast but did not win the race. 11. The new mother and her daughters disliked Cinderella and treated her unkindly 12. The maid and the little boy went upstairs and looked out of the window. 13. Fred or Tom will do it for you. 14. He always whistles or sings at his work. 15. Birds, butterflies, and bees flitted here and there. Find the words that connect the two parts of the compound subjects and the compound predicates. Make a list of all the different words that you find. What part of speech are these words? A conjunction connects the two parts of a compound subject or compound predicate. Analyze the sentences in this lesson by giving: 1. Subject. 2. Predicate. 3. Simple or compound subject. 4. Simple or compound predicate. 5. Modifiers of the simple or compound subject. 6. Modifiers of the simple or compound predicate. Write six simple sentences about something you have seen, heard, or done lately. Let two of your sentences have a compound subject; two, a compound predicate; and two, a compound subject and compound predicate. Your teacher will let you write some of your sen. tences on the blackboard. 281, TROUBLESOME PLURALS Alice made her first cake yesterday. She used 2 eggs 1 cupful of milk 1 spoonful of baking powder 1 cupful of sugar 2 cupfuls of flour Tom said it was the best cake he ever ate. When Alice measured out the butter for her cake, how many spoons do you think she used? think she used? When she measured the flour, how many cups did she use? 4 spoonfuls means 1 spoon filled 4 times. 2 cupfuls means 1 cup filled twice. It is not likely that Alice filled four spoons with butter and two cups with flour in measuring for her cake. 4 spoons full means 4 different spoons filled once. 2 cups full means 2 different cups filled once. When the same spoon or the same cup is used to do all the measuring, the forms of the words are— 282 USING ITS AND IT'S CORRECTLY You have learned that the possessive pronoun its, like all other possessive pronouns ending in s, needs no apostrophe. (See p. 130.) The book is yours. The house is theirs. The boy is his brother. But the pronoun its is often written incorrectly because it is confused with an entirely different form. It's a pleasant day. It's a long way to Tipperary. It's a long lane that has no turning. It's stands for the two words it is. The apostrophe is used to show that the letter i is omitted. The pronoun its, showing ownership, must have no apostrophe: The word it's, meaning it is, must have an apostrophe. In the following paragraph, insert an apostrophe wherever you think one is needed, and tell why you do or do not insert it. "Its not my fault," said the cross Maltese cat, waving its tail angrily, "that the baby's hand is scratched. Its a pity if I can't do anything to defend |