In other words to have a compound predicate we need to have a coordination of verb phrases (we need to have more than one verb phrase inside a predicate), right? But the sentence 'Those soldiers carried and used guns.' have only ONE verb phrase (and it's quite a complicated one :)) inside the predicate, and that is why "carried and used guns" can not be a compound predicate, even though that verb phrase looks like a compound one because of the COORDINATION of PREDICATORS (VERBS) which jointly have the noun "guns" as object, right?

Looks might be deceptive, right?

And also I've got another quick question for you. I'm so so sorry for asking so many question. :)

Does the sentence 'The kids climbed and played on the jungle gym.' have a simple predicate as well?

Thanks in advance!

Essentially, yes. Each VP must be capable of standing alone as the predicate, as in the second example I gave. In your original example, the two verbs share the same direct object, "guns" so the whole thing is just one predicate (or "simple" as you would say).

The same applies to your latest example:

The kids climbed and played on the jungle gym.

Again, we have a coordination of two verb predicators, i.e. "climbed" and "played". They share the adjunct (a preposition phrase) "on the jungle gym" which is part of the single predicate.


Incidentally, grammarians do not usually talk of 'compound predicates'. Instead we talk of various kinds of coordination within the verb phrase.

PaulM

Hello!
Do you agree with what Oxfrord online grammar dictionary says about the subject of a sentence-they that the subject is generally the person or thing that the sentence is about. And could you write why you agree/don't agree with that, please?

Thanks in advance!