Either … or is a correlative conjunction that is used to present two options or say that one of two things is true (e.g., “I’d like either ramen or sushi”).
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that are used to show the relationship between two words, phrases, or clauses. Others include neither … nor and not only … but also.
Either … or examplesEither Marisol or Asher will lead the meeting.
The movie was divisive: people either hated it or loved it.
Will you either wash the dishes or sweep the floor?
Neither … nor is a correlative conjunction that is used to indicate that two things are not true (e.g., “The candidate appeared neither prepared nor interested”).
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that are used to show the relationship between two grammatically equal parts of a sentence. Others include either … or and not only … but also.
Neither … nor examplesNeither the rain nor the wind could stop the match.
The new policy neither addresses employee concerns nor improves productivity.
The committee accepted neither the proposed rule change nor the amended budget.
Not only … but also is a correlative conjunction—a pair of words that is used to show the relationship between two grammatically equal parts of a sentence (e.g., “The company let down not only its shareholders but also its employees”).
You can use not only … but also when you want to emphasize that in addition to something already known, assumed, or expected (the “not only” phrase), there is something else (the “but also” phrase) that makes the statement more surprising, interesting, terrible, etc.
Not only … but also examplesShe has visited not only all 50 states but also 13 countries.
Not only minor celebrities but also true superstars turned out for the event.
The high winds not only downed power lines but also overturned mobile homes.
As the name suggests, compound-complex sentences incorporate elements of both a compound sentence and a complex sentence, two of the other sentence structures in English.
Compound-complex sentence examplesOnce this storm is over, our plane can take off, and we can actually begin our vacation.
This necklace is very important to me, so don’t lose it unless you want to see me angry.
The convention was electrifying; many attendees, who came from all over the country, said they didn’t want to leave.
If Ellen doesn’t want to go, I can ask Patrick, or I can just go alone.
A compound sentence consists of two independent clauses (i.e., two simple sentences) joined most often by a comma and coordinating conjunction or a semicolon (e.g., “I went to the store, and Marcus cooked dinner”).
Complex sentence examplesStar always drinks a smoothie after she works out.
If you go to the store, will you pick up some milk?
My cousin, who lives in Germany, is coming to visit next week.
Lock the door when you leave.
TipOne characteristic of AI writing is a lack of variety in sentence structure. If you want to humanize AI content, try using different types of sentences in your writing.
Transition words and phrases are used to connect ideas in your writing and help readers understand your arguments. Also called connecting words, linking words, transitional words, or sentence starters (when used at the beginning of a sentence), these words describe the relationship between phrases, sentences, or paragraphs.
Transition words exampleMany researchers (e.g., Bates, 2019; Chan, 2022) have argued that the two variables are correlated. Others, however, disagree (Jones and Hernandez, 2023). Thus, the question is not yet settled.
Understanding and using transition words effectively is necessary to produce clear and cohesive writing. Using a paraphraser like QuillBot’s can help you integrate transition words into your writing.
Published on
July 2, 2024
by
Hannah Skaggs
Revised on
September 9, 2025
What are homophones? They’re words that sound alike and might have the same spelling but have different meanings.
English can be a bit mind-boggling at times, and one of those times is when we’re dealing with homophones or other commonly confused words. We can understand various types of words by understanding the names we assign to them. It helps to be familiar with the roots that make up these terms:
homo = same
hetero = different
phon = sound
graph = written
onym = name
So, for example, homophones have the same sounds, while heterographs have different spellings.
Let’s look at a list of homophones and other words that overlap in sound, meaning, or spelling so you can see how to tell them apart.
Published on
June 26, 2024
by
Sophie Shores, MA
Revised on
October 30, 2025
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition (e.g., “in,” “with,” “of”), an object, and any modifiers. It usually provides more information about a thing or an action. For example, prepositional phrases can tell us when, how, or where something is done, or they can clarify which person or thing is being talked about.
Prepositional phrase examplesI’ll go shopping in the morning.
The dependent clause expresses a condition (e.g., “If I drink coffee”), and the independent clause describes the result of the condition (e.g., “I will be awake all night”).
In English, there are four primary types of conditionals, corresponding to different levels of possibility or likelihood.
Conditional sentence types
Type
Function
Example
Zero conditional
Expresses a general truth
If you press this button, the car unlocks.
First conditional
Expresses a likely future consequence
If you take some medicine, you will feel better.
Second conditional
Expresses an unrealistic or unlikely future consequence
If I won the lottery, I would buy a mansion.
Third conditional
Expresses an unreal past situation and its result
If you had listened to me, you would not have missed your train.
