Download The Correlative Conjunction Recognize a correlative conjunction

The Correlative Conjunction
Recognize a correlative conjunction when you see one.
Either ... or, neither ... nor, and not only ... but also are all correlative conjunctions. They connect two equal grammatical
items. If, for example, a noun follows either, then a noun will also follow or. Read these examples:
In the fall, Phillip will either start classes at the community college as his mother wishes or join the Navy, his father’s hope.
Neither the potted ivy on the counter nor the pile of dirty dishes in the sink have enjoyed water on their surfaces for the past
week.
Professor Wilson not only requires a 3,000-word research essay but also assigns a 500-word reaction paper every single
week.
When you use correlative conjunctions, be careful about verb agreement.
If you connect two subjects with a correlative conjunction, the second one must agree with the verb that follows.
Every single evening either the horned owl or the squabbling cats wake Samantha with their racket.
Every single evening either the squabbling cats or the horned owl wakes Samantha with its racket.
When you use correlative conjunctions, be careful about pronoun agreement.
If you connect two antecedents with a correlative conjunction, the second one must agree with the pronoun that follows.
Neither Yolanda nor the cousins expressed their disappointment when blind Aunt Sophie set down the plate of burnt
hamburgers.
Neither the cousins nor Yolanda expressed her disappointment when blind Aunt Sophie set down the plate of burnt
hamburgers.
When you use correlative conjunctions, be careful about parallel structure.
Either ... or, neither ... nor , and not only ... but also require special attention when you are proofreading for parallelism. Be
sure that you have equal grammatical units after both parts of the conjunction. You can have two main clauses like this:
Not only did Michael grill a steak for Tiffany, but he also prepared a hotdog for Rocket, her dog.
Or you can shorten the sentence with two prepositional phrases:
Michael grilled meat not only for Tiffany but also for Rocket, her dog.
Or you can have two nouns as this version does:
MichaCorrelative Conjunctions are those conjunctions which are in the form of pair of words.
The common Correlative Conjunctions are:
1. Either …or…
Example:
• Either John or George must have done this mischief.
2. Neither…nor…
Example:
• Neither peter nor Andrew has passed the test.
3. Both…and…
Example:
• For seeking admission in a US university, you should sit for both GRE and TOEFL.
4. Whether…or…
Example:
• I do not know whether my father is arriving by the 8o’clock flight or 9o’clock flight.
5. Not only…but also…
Example:
• She not only wrote the screenplay for the movie but also acted a role in it.
6. Such…as…
Example:
• I see only such movies as have good songs.
7. Such…that…
Example:
• Such was the weather the whole of today that I decided to stay indoors.
el grilled meat for not only Tiffany but also Rocket, her dog8. As…as…
Example:
• If you are as intelligent as your father, it will not be difficult for you to run your family business.
9. As…so…
Example:
• As you sow, so you reap.
10. Hardly…when…
Example:
• I had hardly sat down for dinner, when the phone rang.
11. So…that…
Example:
• I left home early so that I would not miss the 7o’clock train to the city.
12. Scarcely…when…
Example:
• Clinton had scarcely reached the platform when the train started moving.
13. Between…and…
Example:
• The meeting will take place between 5 p.m and 6 p.m.
14. As many as
Example:
• There are as many chairs as there are students.
15. From…to…
Example:
• Application will be issued by the college from 9 am to 4 pm.
Examples:
• Never before in the history of music have musical superstars been able to command such extraordinary fees of the
kind as they do today.
• After five years of military service, graduate of the USA must decide whether to continue his career as officer or
leave the military.
Such a Correlative Conjunction should be used properly to complete the sentence beautifully.
CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS
A correlative conjunction is essentially a coordinate conjunction used in pairs. A correlative conjunction gets its name from
the fact that it is a paired conjunction that has a reciprocal or complementary relationship. Correlative conjunctions always
join grammatically equal elements (e.g., noun & noun, adjective & adjective, phrase & phrase, clause & clause, etc.). They
also lend equal weight to the joined elements; which is to say, one joined element is always equal to but never subordinate
to the other. It's interesting to note that the second word of each conjunctive pair is a coordinating conjunction.
Note
Correlative conjunctions usually precede the joined elements, or conjuncts, immediately.
Correlative conjunctions are essentially paired coordinating conjunctions. The meaning expressed by a sentence with
correlative conjunctions is basically the same as a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. The difference is only a matter
of emphasis, where the correlative conjunction reinforces the fact that there are two equal elements or ideas in the sentence.
Below are five pairs of correlative conjunctions commonly used in English.
either ..... or
neither ..... nor
not only ..... but also
whether ..... or
both ..... and
In the following examples, note the placement of correlating conjunctions, which generally appear immediately before the
elements they join. Conjunctions appear in accentuated text; joined elements are underlined.
Either you or Susan must remain with me.
(Correlative conjunction joins the pronoun you and the noun Susan, becoming the compound subject of the sentence.)
Either help us in our struggle for égalité or step aside and let us pass.
(Conjunction joins two independent clauses.)
This job requires an ability possessed neither by Jack nor by John.
(Conjunction joins two prepositional phrases.)
In 1795 B.C.E., Babylon was not only the capital city of ancient Babylonia but also the world's first metropolis.
(Two noun phrases are joined, forming a compound subject complement.)
Whether we meet in the park or at Enid's house is up to you.
(Sometimes a correlating conjunction does not immediately precede the joined element.)
Both the teacher and the principal were furious.
(Conjunction joins two noun phrases, which become the compound subject.)
When using paired conjunctions, be sure the joined elements are grammatically equal. Poor grammatical constructions
result when joining unequal elements. In the examples below, joined elements appear in accentuated text; conjunctions are
underlined.
When building Hoover Dam, laborers not only discovered silver but also gold.
(Construction is poor because the correlative conjunction does not join grammatically equal elements. Discovered silver is a verb + object; gold is a
noun. The conjunction pairs a phrase with a single noun.)
When building Hoover Dam, laborers discovered not only silver but also gold.
(The construction is correct because the paired conjunctions join two nouns, grammatically equal elements.)
Beth became angry both with our singing and our shouting.
(Grammatically unequal elements are joined: A prepositional phrase is joined with a gerund phrase.)
Beth became angry both with our singing and with our shouting.
(Two prepositional phrases, grammatically equal elements, are joined.)
Put your earnings either in a bank or in a treasury account.
Whether Jim sees a movie or watches a play is unimportant to me.
The hounds were neither smart enough to climb the ledge nor small enough to enter the cave.