What Are Correlative Conjunctions? | And How to Use Theme

What Is A Correlative Conjunction? And How to Use Theme

Proposed by their names, correlative conjunctions work in pairs to join interrelated phrases or words that carry equal importance in a sentence. Like many interesting parts of the speech, correlative conjunctions are fun to use. At the same time, there are some important rules to keep in mind when using them properly. Read on to learn more about these important parts of the language and the rules of grammar around them.

• When using correlative conjunctions, make sure the verbs agree so that your sentences are meaningful. For example: every night, either loud singing or fighting neighbors wake people up.
• When you use a correlative conjunctions, you must make sure that the pronouns agree. For example: Neither Sally nor Debra expressed her frustration when the cat broke the antique lamp.
• When using correlative conjunctions, be sure to keep the parallel structure intact. The whole sentence needs to include the same grammatical unit. For example: Mary not only grilled burgers for Michael, she also fixed a steak for her dog Vinnie.

Examples of Correlative Conjunctions

In the following examples, correlative conjunctions are slanted for easy identification.

Examples:

• Jerry is not rich or famous.
• Alex may be rich but not famous.
• He is both intelligent and beautiful.
• She is not only intelligent but also very active.
• Alex is not only funny but also very intelligent.
• I will either go out to play or watch TV at home.
• Do you go to work or spend the day at the beach?
• I would either go for a walk or watch TV at home.
• Would you go shopping or spend the day by the river?

7 Examples of Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions work together to indicate the relationship between the two subjects, to reveal details or to provide clarity. They add a first addition that connects the second conjunctions with the other part of the sentence. Some common interrelated words include the following pairs.

1. Both/and: The use of "both" and "and" refers to a correlation between two things that are performing the same action. An example of using this correlative conjunctions is: "We'll both leave the party and take a car."
2. Either/or: Using “either” and “or” connects two (2) positive statements of equal weight. For example, you might say: "My brother is either working upstairs or downstairs."
3. Neither/nor: “Neither/nor” combines two (2) negative statements of equal weight. For example, you might say: "I won't watch the show or read the book."
4. Whether/or: “Whether/or” combines two (2) possible verbs in a subject. For example, you might say: "I wasn't sure if you would attend."
5. Not only/but also: "I'm not only tired but also very hungry."
6. Rather/than: "Rather than" represents the preference of one subject over another. For example, you might say: "I am rather coffee more than tea."
7. Such/that: “Such/that” connects two independent clauses in a way that applies the cause of an action. For example, you could say: “Such is my headache that I cannot get out of bed.”

5 Tips for Using Correlative Conjunctions

There are a number of helpful tips and rules for using these parts of your speech properly. Here are a few rules to follow to use correlative conjunctions.

1. Remember your subject-action agreement. Topics and verbs need to match when using interconnections. Singular things must match singular verbs and plural things must match plural verbs. If you have more than one subject, match the verb with the one closest to the verb. For example, you would say: "Both the owner and his dog run through the park," instead "Both the owner and his dog run through the park."
2. Confirm your pronoun agreement. Similar to the subject-verb agreement, pronouns also have to agree with their verbs when using reciprocal connections. For example, the correct agreement between the pronoun "he plays tennis" and the verb "he plays tennis" instead. It can be confusing when the antecedent of the pronoun is part of a Correlative Conjunction, however, if there is more than one subject, use the agreement for the nearest noun or noun phrase. Let's use the example sentence: "Not only my sister, my friends were there too." In this case, "yes" matches the plural of "friends" rather than the singular "sister".
3. You need to make sure that your sentence has a parallel structure. Parallelism in grammatical structure is important for tracking the themes of your sentences. Parallel structures work with the grammatical form of your sentence, such as discussing multiple items, or making a list. For example, let’s look at the two sentences: For example, let's look at two sentences: "My mother not only likes to hike, but also a fan of camping" and "My mother not only likes hiking, she also likes camping." In the second sentence, "hiking" and "camping" are parallel, while "to hike" and "camping" are not parallel to each other in the first sentence.
4. Use a comma with independent clauses. Use only a comma when your correlative conjunctions separates the two independent strands and avoid using it to separate your own correlative conjunctions. For example, let's look at two sentences: "Neither you nor I should wear pastels," and "neither you nor I should wear pastels." In this example, the latter is correct because both subjects rely on the same verb, which is "wear".
5. Beware of double negatives. Neither/nor indicates a negative conjunctions, so make sure you don't have a negative verb phrase above the main clause. "I can't see or hear it," is not accurate because "can't" already provides a negative. The correct version would be: "I can't see or hear it."

Note:

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