Final answer:
The sentence provided is a compound sentence because it consists of two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction 'and'. Each clause could stand alone as a separate sentence.
Step-by-step explanation:
No, the sentence "Skittles have hard sugar shells, and their main ingredient is corn syrup" is not a simple sentence; it is actually a compound sentence. A simple sentence contains only one main clause that has a single subject and predicate. In this case, the sentence in question has two main clauses: "Skittles have hard sugar shells" and "their main ingredient is corn syrup."
These two main clauses are joined by the coordinating conjunction 'and', which is one of the ways to construct a compound sentence. The key detail here is that each clause could stand alone as a separate sentence, thus making the original sentence compound.
A compound sentence is a sentence that connects two independent clauses, typically with a coordinating conjunction like and or but. It is best for combining two or more sentences that are self-sufficient but related into a single, unified one.