Connect and Teach

Combining subjects can make your writing smoother and less choppy. When two simple sentences have the same predicate, the subjects can be joined together.

Let’s practice one: Dad ate dinner. I ate dinner.

• These two short sentences have the same predicate: ate dinner.
• The writer can join the sentences to make one smooth sentence: Dad and I ate dinner.

The boys ate the cake. The girls ate the cake.

• The boys and girls ate the cake.

Sierra played the game. Stephen played the game.

• Sierra and Steven played the game.

My brother sang a song. My sister sang a song.

• My brother and sister sang a song.

You can use guiding questions to identify the subjects that can be joined, such as: Who ate the cake? Who else ate the cake?

For additional practice, you may complete the Connect to Writing: Using Subjects and Predicates Correctly