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Sometimes, it so happens that there are related matters of equal importance that you would have to convey in a single sentence. It is in these scenarios that correlative conjunctions play a role. This article on correlative conjunctions will teach you all about their meaning, definition and usage along with examples to help you learn easily. Also, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Table of Contents

What Is a Correlative Conjunction?

A correlative conjunction seems to be used in pairs and they correlate in order to make connections and provide equal importance to the points that are discussed in a sentence.

Definition of a Correlative Conjunction

According to the Collins Dictionary, correlative conjunctions are "made up of two or more words working together as a pair, to link two similar items." Correlative conjunctions are defined as words that are "used to describe two or more things that are related to each other", according to the Cambridge Dictionary. "Two words that are correlative are often used together but not usually used next to each other. For example, 'either' and 'or' are correlative conjunctions", says the Macmillan Dictionary.

Examples of Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions include:

Either...or

Neither...nor

Not only...but also

Whether...or

No sooner...than

Rather...than

Such...that

Scarcely...when

As many/much...as

Both...and

Here are some examples to help you understand how to use correlative conjunctions in sentences.

Either you learn how to do it or you will have to face the consequences.

Neither did Rachel nor her friends make it to the event.

Not only did they block the road but they also kept shouting slogans.

Manoj was saying that he is not sure whether he should stay back tonight or leave home immediately.

No sooner did my mom complete all the kitchen work than she started cleaning the house.

He'd rather do something useful than wasting time on this.

My cousin did such a stupid thing that everyone mocked him.

Ramesh had scarcely left work when his boss called and had to go back into the office again.

There are as many spoons as there are forks.

Both Indhu and Sheena liked the movie.

How to Use Correlative Conjunctions in Sentences?

Before you get too comfortable with using correlative conjunctions, there are a few pointers that you should keep in mind.

The most important thing that you have to focus on when using correlative conjunctions is maintaining the subject-verb agreement in the sentence.

If you are using a pair of correlative conjunctions to join two sentences with singular subjects, the verb should be singular as well.

If a correlative conjunction is used to join two sentences with plural subjects, the verb should be a plural one.

If a pair of correlative conjunctions are used to link sentences with a singular subject and a plural subject, the verb should agree to the subject (noun or pronoun) it is placed closest to.

Using the right pronouns in accordance with the subjects in the sentence is another point you have to take care when using correlative conjunctions.

If a pair of correlative conjunctions are used to link two sentences with singular nouns, the pronoun used in the sentence must be singular too.

If correlative conjunctions are used to combine two sentences with plural nouns, the pronoun used in the sentence must be plural too.

If a pair of correlative conjunctions are used to combine two sentences with a singular noun and a plural noun, the pronoun should be made singular or plural in accordance with the noun it is closest to.

Check Your Understanding of Correlative Conjunctions

Fill in the blanks with most appropriate correlative conjunctions in the following sentences:

1. ________ you ________ Seetha should make sure to attend the meeting.

2. __________ did he find the solution to the problem ________ helped his friends understand it.

3. ________ Rani ________ Ashwathy attended UPSC classes.

4. She'd __________ watch a movie ________ watch a series.

5. Ranjith did not know _________ he should take psychology _____ sociology as the allied paper.

Check the answers given below to find out how far you have understood the topic.

1. Either you or Seetha should make sure to attend the meeting.

2. Not only did he find the solution to the problem but also helped his friends understand it as well.

3. Both Rani and Ashwathy attended UPSC classes.

4. She'd rather watch a movie than watch a series.

5. Ranjith did not know whether he should take psychology or sociology as the allied paper.

Frequently Asked Questions on Correlative Conjunctions in English

What is a correlative conjunction?

Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions meant to be used in pairs, and they correlate in order to make connections and provide equal importance to the points that are discussed in a sentence.

What is the definition of a correlative conjunction?

According to the Collins Dictionary, correlative conjunctions are "made up of two or more words working together as a pair, to link two similar items." A correlative conjunction is defined as words that are "used to describe two or more things that are related to each other", according to the Cambridge Dictionary. "Two words that are correlative are often used together but not usually used next to each other. For example, 'either' and 'or' are correlative conjunctions", says the Macmillan Dictionary.

Give some examples of correlative conjunctions.

Given below are some examples of correlative conjunctions:

Either...or

Neither...nor

Not only...but also

Whether...or

No sooner...than

Rather...than

Such...that

Scarcely...when

As many/much...as

Both...and

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Correlative Conjunctions - Explore Meaning, Definition, Usage and Examples

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Correlative Conjunctions: Learn how to use correlative conjunctions effectively in this article. Read through the meaning, definition and examples of correlative conjunctions to have a clear idea of what they are and how to use them.

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What Is a Correlative Conjunction? (With Examples) | Grammarly

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Correlative conjunctions are one of the three types of conjunctions . (The others are subordinating conjunctions and coordinating conjunctions. More on them in a minute.) Like all conjunctions, correlative conjunctions link words and phrases together in sentences, indicating the relationship (and in some cases, the lack of relationship) between them.

You use correlative conjunctions in your speech all the time. If you've ever said something like "I could play either soccer or basketball next season," you've used correlative conjunctions. In your writing, correlative conjunctions are a handy tool to make your stronger and more clear.

Write with Grammarly

What is a correlative conjunction?

Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions used to illustrate how two words or phrases within a sentence relate to each other. Correlative conjunctions always come in pairs.

Though they can illustrate a correlation between the two words or phrases, they don't necessarily have to. In many cases, the words or phrases linked by a correlative conjunction can be discussed independently of one another. In these cases, joining them with a correlative conjunction makes your writing more concise and emphasizes that the two things being discussed happen in close succession, at the same time, or as a result of the same cause, or that they're both distinct possibilities or outcomes of a shared cause or starting point.

Take a look at these sentences that use correlative conjunctions:

Before we go deeper into correlative conjunctions, let's do a quick refresher on . conjunctions as a part of speech and Conjunctions are words that link phrases, clauses, and words together in sentences. Words like and but are conjunctions. When you use a conjunction in a sentence, the words or phrases it links need to have parallel structures . Here's an example of a conjunction at work:

"She drives slow and cautiously" is incorrect, as are "She drives slowly and cautious" and "She drives slow and cautious." In this example, the adverbs "slowly" and "cautiously" both describe the verb "drives," and the conjunction and links them together to give the reader the full picture: The subject ("she") doesn't just drive, but drives at a low speed and in a cautious manner.

And can be a correlative conjunction when it's paired with another conjunction like both. Take a look at this example:

Like socks, correlative conjunctions always come in pairs. That's their defining characteristic; if a conjunction need a partner for its sentence to make sense, it's not a correlative conjunction. The most common correlative conjunction pairs include:

Let's take a look at a few example sentences:

What does a correlative conjunction do?

Correlative conjunctions create pairs of equal elements. By elements, we mean words and phrases within a sentence that are the same part of speech or serve the same function. This could mean two , two adjectives , two , or two of the same kind of . Here are a few examples of correlative conjunctions in sentences:

Correlative conjunctions are just one type of conjunction. The other types are subordinating conjunctions and coordinating conjunctions.

Coordinating conjunctions are words that join two elements of equal grammatical rank and syntactic importance. They can join two , two , two adjectives , two , or two independent . In our example above, the word and acts as a coordinating conjunction. When most people think of conjunctions, they think of coordinating conjunctions. The seven coordinating conjunctions can be remembered by using the acronym FANBOYS:

Subordinating conjunctions are conjunctions that link independent clauses to dependent clauses. By doing this, the subordinating conjunction demonstrates the relationship between the clauses, which is often a cause-and-effect relationship or a contrast. Here's a quick example:

Common subordinating conjunctions include:

When should you use correlative conjunctions?

Use correlative conjunctions when you have two distinct yet connected concepts in a sentence. If you and your roommate both tend to wake up early, an efficient sentence to communicate this is " Both my roommate and I wake up early."

Correlative conjunctions can be helpful in transition sentences . Here's an example of a short paragraph featuring a transition sentence:

You can remove the second sentence and the paragraph will still make sense. However, that middle sentence adds detail and context. Here's another example of correlative conjunctions in a transition sentence:

When you're using correlative conjunctions, subject-verb agreement is a must All this means is that the verb in the sentence is conjugated to match the noun or pronoun that is its subject. Take a look at this example:

How to use correlative conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions always come in pairs. Many of these words can be used without their correlative partners, and when this is the case, the word isn't acting as a correlative conjunction. Here's an example:

In this sentence, the word "such" is an adverb because it's modifying the adjective "amazing" by amplifying it. But the word "such" can also be a correlative conjunction-when it's paired with the word "that."

See how the pair of correlative conjunctions demonstrates the cause and effect in this sentence? You can also split the sentence in two:
She was such an amazing cook. She won over even the pickiest eaters.
We can infer the cause and effect here, but linking these sentences with correlative conjunctions makes the relationship between her cooking and her picky eater-converting skills clear.

Take a look at more example sentences that contain correlative conjunctions:

Every single one of these sentences can be reworded to remove the correlative conjunctions and still make sense, but they might get longer or lose some clarity. For example, we can rework the last example to "The kids would eat scrambled eggs, but would prefer ramen." No meaning is lost, but the version with the correlative conjunctions emphasizes the kids' preference for ramen by placing it ahead of the scrambled eggs.

Correlative conjunction FAQs

What is a correlative conjunction?

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that connect words or phrases that are the same part of speech or serve the same function within a sentence.

How are correlative conjunctions used?

Correlative conjunctions are used to make writing flow more easily, reduce redundancy, and make the relationship between equal words or phrases within a sentence clear. Although they can be used to allude to cause-and-effect relationships, they don't have to be. Compare these two sentences:

Correlative conjunction: She was such an amazing cook that she won over even the pickiest eaters.

Subordinating conjunction: She was such an amazing cook because she won over even the pickiest eaters.

What are common correlative conjunction pairs?

Communicate with confidence

When you need to show the relationship between two equal elements in a sentence, use a pair of correlative conjunctions. When you need to double-check your work to see if you missed any grammatical mistakes or if your tone isn't quite what you wanted, run it through Grammarly. Our writing assistance tool catches mistakes and detects the tones in your work, then offers suggestions to make your writing even stronger.

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Learn the definition and purpose of correlative conjunctions and how to use them in sentences, with correct and incorrect examples.

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Play fill in the blank and a correlative conjunctions car race games on Turtle Diary!

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Correlative conjunctions are always used in pairs to relate one part of a sentence to another. They have both a coordinating conjunction with an adjective or adverb.

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Play this Correlative conjunction dart game! Get the conjunction correct and throw a dart!

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A Site for ESL Kids and Teachers - Free Worksheets, PPT, Games and more...

This correlative conjunctions grammar game is a new game. Other video games practice coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. This new game teaches children correlative conjunctions such as: either...or, neither... nor, both...and, not only...but also, whether...or.... For example: Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to correlate two parts of a sentence of equal importance. Correlative conjunctions often connect two singular subjects with a singular verb, or two plural subjects with a plural verb. They apply a relation between two subjects or two verbs that act in tandem with each other. Play this coordinating conjunctions quiz and teach English grammar more vividly to learners. Review correlative conjunctions such as: She is both intelligent and beautiful. I will either go for a walk or stay home and watch TV. Gary is neither rich nor famous.

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Correlative Conjunctions Darts Game | Conjunctions Quiz for Kids

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Learn more about correlative conjunctions with Miacademy!

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Learn more about correlative conjunctions with Miacademy!

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This video provides an review of conjunctions and also dives into correlative conjunctions!

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This video provides an review of conjunctions and also dives into correlative conjunctions!

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Conjunctions for Kids | Learn about coordinating, correlative, and subordinating conjunctions

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Dive deeper into correlative conjunctions with Mr. P!

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Dive deeper into correlative conjunctions with Mr. P!

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A song that will help you understand correlative conjunctions more!

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A song that will help you understand correlative conjunctions more!

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Correlative Conjunctions Song by Melissa | Award Winning Correlative Conjunction Educational Song

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Correlative conjunctions are pair of words that connect ideas. Like all conjunctions, they link words and phrases together in sentences, indicating the relationship between them.

Correlative conjunctions are used in everyday speech all the time. For example, some of you play sports and have said something along the lines of "I could play either baseball or soccer next summer."

In sentences, the two phrases don't have to necessarily match. The two can be discussed independently.

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Let's take a look at some examples of correlative conjunctions.

We could either hike up the mountain or swim in the lake this afternoon.

Whether you bike or drive to work, you’ll need to show your parking pass.

Not only did my mom buy me a Nintendo Switch, but she also bought me a bunch of games!

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1. When using correlative conjunctions, make sure that your verbs agree so your sentences make sense.

Not in agreement: Before dawn, either my siblings or my mom wake me up.

Wake in not in agreement with the second subject, mom.

In agreement: Before dawn, either my siblings or my mom wakes me up.

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2. Your pronouns should also agree.

For example:

Neither Debra nor Sally expressed her annoyance when the cat broke the antique lamp.

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3. Be sure that your sentence structure is parallel.

An example of a sentence with that is not parallel is:

Not parallel: Our tour guide must be familiar with both the country and be able to speak the language.

Parallel: Our tour guide must be familiar with both the country and the language.

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Let's do a few in-class exercises before we continue with the lesson.

1. She is neither polite ________ funny.

A. Or
B. Nor
C. Not
D. Yet

Answer: B. She is neither polite nor funny.

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2. _______ that is the case, _______ I’m not surprised about what’s happening.

1. If / then

2. No sooner / than

3. Scarcely / when

4. Whether / or

Answer: A. If that is the case, then I’m not surprised about what’s happening.

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3. Have you made a decision about _______ to go to the movies _______ not?

1. If  / then

2. Either / or

3. Whether / or

4. What with / and

Answer: C. Have you made a decision about whether to go to the movies or not?

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Here's a list of the most common correlative conjunctions pairs used.

As / as

Both / and

Either / or

Hardly / when

If / then

Just as / so

Neither / nor

Not only / but also

No sooner / than

Not / but

Rather / than