Correlative Conjunctions

Some things just come in twos. Take a pair of pants. Where would you be with just one leg? Likewise, correlative conjunctions always come in pairs. If a conjunction doesn’t have a match, it isn’t a correlative conjunction. The way that one pant leg isn’t quite a fashion statement, one correlative conjunction isn’t quite a correlative conjunction. Here is a definition, the rules, and some examples for the double trouble of grammatical conjunctions.

Correlative Conjunctions Definition

To understand correlative conjunctions, two definitions are in order.

A simple coordinating conjunction is “and.”

A correlative conjunction is distinct from other conjunctions because, unlike “and,” one word doesn’t suffice. You need two words, such as “either/or.”

In this sentence, the correlative conjunction either/or sets up a dichotomy. It presents a relationship where you have to pick one or the other.

There are several common correlative conjunctions, which you can compile into a list.

Correlative Conjunctions List

Here is a list of common correlative conjunctions.

• As/as

• As many/as

• As much/as

• Both/and

• Either/or

• Neither/nor

• No sooner/than

• Not only/but also

• Rather/than

• Scarcely/when

• Such/that

• What with/and

• Whether/or

The following will show you how to use these correlative conjunctions in sentences.

Examples Of Correlative Conjunctions

Here are some examples of correlative conjunctions, so you can get a better idea of what they look like.

You can see how at least one-half of each pair requires a second conjunction to work. “The gadget maker bought as many clocks” isn’t a viable sentence, for instance, nor is “Have as much cake.”

Correlative conjunctions can be tricky because they often don’t look or sound quite normal. Take the second example, “Scarcely had the station wagon started to move when it broke down in a blast of smoke.” This is a perfectly good use of a correlative conjunction, and yet some readers might find it uncanny or perplexing. This could be due to the length or the fact that some correlative conjunctions just sound archaic.

You’ll notice that the final example in this set uses a comma, whereas none of the others do. This isn’t a mistake. Next up, you should know the rules for correlative conjunctions, and — among other things — why some use commas while others don’t.

Fig. 1 - Correlative conjunctions can express a wide range of emotive relationships.

Correlative Conjunctions Rules

Here are the rules for correlative conjunctions and commas. Take a look at these two examples. One you’ll recognize.

In the first example, “but also” takes a comma, while in the second example, “but also” doesn’t. This is because, in the first example, “but also” joins two independent clauses.

Here are two independent clauses. When left alone, they are grammatically correct English sentences.

So here’s the deal, which is always the case: when you join two independent clauses using a conjunction, you need to put a comma between the two independent clauses.

When you combine the two sentences “Dray is a stand-up guy” and “He’s funny as heck” using “but also,” the result is a compound sentence that takes a comma.

On the other hand, the sentence, “Dray is not only nice but also funny,” doesn’t have two independent clauses. It has one clause with two adjectives. Here is the clause broken down:

So, this sentence simply needs a conjunction to join the two adjectives. One way would be to use a simple coordinating conjunction, which can join words.

However, if you want to emphasize that Dray’s niceness and funniness impress you, you can use correlative conjunctions.

Not only/but also is not the only pair of correlative conjunctions that you find combining independent clauses. Here’s a final example that uses the simple either/or.

Just as with the original "Dray" example, this compound sentence combines two independent clauses with correlative conjunctions. Again, you can tell they're clauses because they contain a subject and a predicate, and they're independent because they can stand alone as complete sentences.

Fig. 2 - So don't forget another ubiquitous pairing: the independent clause + comma!

Correlative Conjunction Sentences

If you’re having trouble with a sentence — wondering whether or not a word in it is a correlative conjunction — use these tips to troubleshoot.

So, the first rule of the correlative conjunction is that they always come in twos. That means even if you see a word that is commonly a correlative conjunction, you can’t assume that it is.

Neither is one of those words that you immediately think, neither/nor! However, in the above example, neither doesn’t have or need nor because neither is not being used as a correlative conjunction in the sentence. It’s being used as a determiner.

For example, in the phrase “That badger,” the word that is a determiner because it specifies which badger: That one. In the sentence, “Agatha has two brooms, neither of which flies,” the word neither is a determiner because it specifies Agatha’s two brooms.

Here’s another common trap. Take “but also.” As we've seen, the conjunction “but also” is a very common correlative conjunction. However, just because you see “but also” used in a conjunctive manner, it isn’t always a correlative conjunction.

Here, “but also” is a conjunction. However, it’s not a correlative conjunction because where’s the other half?

Bottom line: a correlative conjunction needs a second one to be a correlative conjunction. Otherwise, it’s something else!