Correlative Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words that we
use to join parts of a sentence. We have three types of conjunctions in English
grammar. One of them is correlative conjunctions.
Definition of Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions are
defined as pairs of words that connect two parts of a sentence that hold equal
value. The two parts correlate with one another and work in pairs.
- Ali likes both ice cream and chocolate.
List of Correlative Conjunctions
- Either ………. .…… or
- Neither ………....…... nor
- Such …………….....… that
- Whether ……....….… or
- Not only ……….....… but also
- Both …………….....…. and
- As many/much ……..as
- No sooner ……....….. than
- Rather …………....….. than
- If …………………...…... then
- Scarcely/hardly…….. When
- Just as …………… … so
Examples of Correlative Conjunctions in Sentences
- You can either go on a hike or go by taxi.
- I teach neither loudly nor softly.
- You asked such a foolish question that he could not answer you.
- I will write him a letter whether you agree or not.
- They not only invited you but also invited me to the party.
- Both Ali and John do their work on time.
- I don’t have as many books as you have.
- We had no sooner eaten meal than you called.
- I would rather teach something than stand silent.
- If it rains, then take a taxi.
- Scarcely had I gone to the bed when I was called.
- Just as I like fried chicken, so does my brother like baked chicken.
What do correlative conjunctions connect?
Correlative conjunctions
connect nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, phrases, prepositional phrases, or
clauses.
Noun: I
studied both English and Chinese.
Verb: He
would rather meet than call.
Adjective: The
tour was not only enjoyable but also educational.
Adverb and Noun: The
boy walked as slowly as a crocodile.
Prepositional Phrase: He
likes not only to play cricket but also to visit different places.
Phrase: You
can either call her or write a letter.
Clause: I have
no objections whether you will visit your uncle, or you will go with us on the trip.
Subject-Verb Agreement
When we use either …….. or and
neither ……….. nor, we may get confused about the subject-verb agreement because
we have more than one subject. It looks a little tricky. There are two rules
regarding the subject-verb agreement.
Proximity Rule
The proximity rule tells us
about two subjects in a sentence that the subject closest to the verb
determines its agreement with the verb. If the closest subject is singular, the
verb must be singular. Similarly, if the closest subject is plural, the verb
must be plural.
- Either the students or the administrator organizes the farewell party.
In this example, the subject
(administrator) is closer to the verb; consequently, the singular form of the verb
is used.
Logic Rule
This rule tells if one of the
subjects in a sentence is plural, the form of the verb must be plural.
- Either the students or the administrator organize the farewell party.
- Either the administrator or the students organize the farewell party.
Remember that the second
example is the best option to use. Both of the rules are applied correctly.
Double Negatives
Some people make the common
mistake of making double negatives. Generally, words of negations don’t need to
be used in a sentence having 'not' because they will become double negative. The
correlative conjunctions ‘neither …….nor’ are already negative, so a sentence
that has ‘neither ……. Nor’ does not need ‘not’ or another word of negation.
- Ali did not go neither to the park nor to the club. (Incorrect)
- Ali went neither to the park nor to the club.
Do correlative conjunctions come in pairs?
Correlative conjunctions are
paired conjunctions because they always come in pairs. Many of these words can
be used separately from their correlative partners, but we can’t call them
correlative conjunctions in such a case.
- Ali drove his car fast and cautiously.
In this example, the word ‘and’
is not correlative conjunction. It connects two adverbs but functions as a
coordinating conjunction.
Parallel Structure
When using correlative
conjunction, we must use parallel structure. The elements behind the
conjunctions must be of the same type.
- They are not only eating but also talking.
Both of the conjunctions are
followed by verbs.
- They are eating not only mangoes but also studying math.
In this example, the first part
of paired conjunction is followed by the noun (mangoes), and the second part is
followed by the verb (studying).
Punctuating Comma between Correlative Conjunctions
Generally speaking, we don’t
use a comma between pairs of correlative conjunctions, but we have some
exceptional cases.
When a comma is used for
another grammatical rule in a sentence, we can use it. In the below example,
the commas are used to offset the nonrestrictive clause.
- Neither the job as a lawyer, which paid me a lot, nor the job as a bank manager made me satisfied.
Commas can also be used to
separate pairs of correlative conjunctions when the comma is used to separate
two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction.
- The principal not only allowed me, but he also promised to assist me.
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