Correlative Conjunctions | Examples, List & Definition
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that are used to show the relationship between two words, phrases, or clauses (e.g., “both rain and snow”).
Correlative conjunctions join two grammatically equal parts of a sentence (i.e., two words, phrases, or clauses).
You can either go to the store with me or stay home.
Neither snow nor rain will ruin our fun.
Sophie is not only a great student but also a star athlete.
What is a correlative conjunction?
Correlative conjunctions are one of the three types of conjunctions—words that are used to connect other words. The other two types are coordinating conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “or”) and subordinating conjunctions (e.g., “until,” “while”).
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions (e.g., “either … or,” “both … and”) that are used to emphasize the relationship between two elements of a sentence. The most common correlative conjunctions are shown in the table below.
| Correlative conjunction | Example |
|---|---|
| Either … or | I’d like to either go to a museum or walk through the park. |
| Neither … nor | Neither Joaquin nor Elise came to the party. |
| Both … and | He owns both a car and an e-bike. |
| Not only … but also | The recession led to not only widespread unemployment but also lower wages. |
| Whether … or | I don’t know whether to pack a lunch or buy one there. |
| No sooner … than | No sooner had we sat down to eat than the doorbell rang. |
| Rather … than | I’d rather stay in than go out tonight. |
| Such … that | Ty is such a fan of the show that he has seen every episode ten times. |
| As many/much … as | There are as many teachers as there are students. |
Commas are typically not needed with correlative conjunctions. One exception is when they are used to to join two independent clauses (e.g., “Not only did the candidate receive the most electoral college votes, but she also won the popular vote by a landslide”).
Parallelism with coordinating conjunctions
The elements that are connected with correlative conjunctions must be parallel, or grammatically equivalent, to each other (e.g., two nouns, two verbs, two adverbial clauses, etc.).
For example, take the sentence “I work at home and in the office.” If you wanted to add a “both … and” correlative conjunction, the sentence would read: “I work both at home and in the office.” In that way, two grammatically equal prepositional phrases (“at home” and “in the office”) are connected.
Placing “both” before “work,” on the other hand, would create two unequal phrases: a verb phrase (“work at home”) and a prepositional phrase (“in the office”).
Parallelism problems can typically be solved in two ways: by moving the first part of the correlative conjunction or by rephrasing one of the elements to match the other element. You can also try a QuillBot grammar check to ensure your writing is free of errors.
- I enjoy both hanging out with my friends and to go to concerts.
- I enjoy both hanging out with my friends and going to concerts.
- She not only strongly disagreed with the architect but also the carpenter.
- She strongly disagreed not only with the architect but also with the carpenter.
- Either the president will sign the bill or veto it.
- The president will either sign the bill or veto it.
- My parents will either come visit me, or I will go to their house.
- Either my parents will come visit me, or I will go to their house.
Correlative conjunctions as compound subjects
The correlative conjunctions “both … and,” “either … or,” and “neither … nor” are frequently used to form compound subjects (e.g., “Both my mom and I want a cat”). When used in this way, agreement with verbs and pronouns must be considered.
Subject-verb agreement
If the correlative conjunction “both … and” is used to form a compound subject, a plural verb is required, even if the nouns joined by “and” are singular (e.g., “Both Jerome and I love skiing”).
The correlative conjunctions “either … or” and “neither … nor” are a bit more complicated. The verb agrees with whichever noun is closest to it. When both nouns are singular, the verb is always singular. When both nouns are plural, the verb is always plural. However, when one noun is singular and one is plural, remember to look at the noun closest to the verb.
Either the director or the actors are lying.
Neither my parents nor my brother has red hair.
Neither my brother nor my parents have red hair.
- Not only the coach but also the fans were upset with the decision.
- Not only the fans but also the coach was upset with the decision.
Pronoun-antecedent agreement
When correlative conjunctions are used to form compound subjects, the rules for pronoun-antecedent agreement are much the same as the rules for subject-verb agreement.
“Both … and” requires a plural pronoun (e.g., “Both Rae and Suni brought their bikes”).
When using “either … or,” “neither … nor,” or “not only … but also,” the pronoun technically should agree in number and gender with the second noun. However, because “their” is now acceptable (and often preferable) as a gender-neutral singular pronoun, it is frequently used with singular antecedents.
- Either my sister or my brother will share his car with me.
- Either my brother or my sister will share her car with me.
- Either my brother or my sister will share their car with me. [appropriate use of “their” as gender-neutral singular pronoun]
- Neither the servers nor the chef is wearing his uniform. [appropriate if you know the chef is male]
- Neither the servers nor the chef is wearing their uniform. [appropriate in all circumstances]
Neither … nor
The correlative conjunction “neither … nor” often causes problems for people because “nor” is such an uncommon word in English.
“Neither … nor” is used to indicate that two things are not true (e.g., “Neither the temperature nor the humidity increased”). “Neither” should always be accompanied by “nor,” not “or.”
When other negatives (e.g., “not,” “never”) are used in a sentence, “nor” is not used. Instead, “or” or “and” (for compound subjects) is used.
- Laurel neither slept nor ate for two days.
- Laurel neither slept or ate for two days.
- Laurel did not sleep or eat for two days.
- Laurel did not sleep nor eat for two days.
- Neither Laurel nor Ali slept for two days.
- Neither Laurel or Ali slept for two days.
- Laurel and Ali did not sleep for two days.
Frequently asked questions about correlative conjunctions
- What is the difference between coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions?
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Coordinating conjunctions are single words that are used to link grammatically equal elements (e.g., “cheese and crackers”). There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English: “for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” and “so.”
Subordinating conjunctions are words or phrases that are used at the beginning of a dependent clause (e.g., “until,” “if,” “even though”). They show the relationship between a dependent clause and an independent clause.
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that show the relationship between two grammatically equal elements (e.g., “either pizza or pasta”). The most common correlative conjunctions are “either … or,” “neither … nor,” “both … and,” and “not only … but also.”
A QuillBot grammar check can ensure you’re using the different types of conjunctions correctly.
- Does “not only but also” require a comma?
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Like all correlative conjunctions, “not only … but also” does not typically require a comma (e.g., “The weather forecast calls for not only rain but also hail”).
The one exception to this is when it is used to join two independent clauses, which each have a subject and a verb (e.g., “Ava not only speaks Spanish, but she also is learning French”). This sentence could also be rephrased to not require a comma (e.g., “Ava not only speaks Spanish but also is learning French”).
A QuillBot grammar check can help ensure you’re using correlative conjunctions correctly.
