Carbon is the basic element in all plant and animal life, and coal and oil are the remains of vast long-dead forests and ancient pools of bacterial soup.
(Carbon; is; the basic element in all plant and animal life) (coal and oil; are; the remains of vast long-dead forests and ancient pools of bacterial soup)
Carbon coal and oil
is are
the basic element in all plant and animal life
the remains of vast long-dead forests and ancient pools of bacterial soup