Count the number of lines that are between each of the elements. The number of lines represent the type of bond that the elements have. One line is a single bond, two lines is a double bond and three lines is a triple bond. For example, in methane, there is a single line drawn between the C and each of the four H's. Therefore, each of the bonds between the carbon and the hydrogen is a single bond. In nitrogen, there are three lines that connect the two N's. This means that nitrogen has a triple bond.
Count the number of how many times each element appears in the structural compound. Knowing how many elements are in the compound will help you to draw a simpler representation. For example, in methane, there is one mole of carbon and four moles of hydrogen. In nitrogen, there are two moles of nitrogen.
Write the chemical compound using the subscripts to the lower-right corner of the element to represent the number of moles present in the compound. For example, the simplified version of methane is CH4. The simplified version of nitrogen is N2.