Audio 77

CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTION

These types of conjunction connect two balanced clauses, phrases or types of words. The two elements that correlative conjunctions connect are usually similar in length and grammatical structure.

CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTION

EXAMPLES

Both…and

a. Harry is both a politician and an attorney.

• 'Politician', 'attorney' are the same type of words: nouns.

b. My English teacher works both in a language center and at my school.

• 'In a language center', 'at my school' are the same type of words: noun phrase.

Not only…but also

a. He is not only a good father but also a good friend.

• 'A good father', 'a good friend' are the same type of words: noun phrases.

b. When writing, consider not only your topic but also your audience.

• 'Your topic', 'your audience' are the same type of words and have the same length.

Neither…nor…

Its meaning is negative and connects two negative concepts:

a. I speak neither French nor German.

• It means I don't speak French and I don't speak German.

b. I neither smoke nor drink.

• It means I don't smoke and I don't drink.

Either…or…

It is used to give two alternatives:

a. We can go to either Greece or Spain for our holiday.

• 'Greece' and 'Spain' are the two alternatives.

b. It's my final offer – you can either take it or leave it.

CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTION				EXAMPLES
Both…and				a. Harry is both a politician and an attorney. • 'Politician', 'attorney' are the same type of words: nouns. b. My English teacher works both in a language center and at my school. • 'In a language center', 'at my school' are the same type of words: noun phrase.
Not only…but also				a. He is not only a good father but also a good friend. • 'A good father', 'a good friend' are the same type of words: noun phrases. b. When writing, consider not only your topic but also your audience. • 'Your topic', 'your audience' are the same type of words and have the same length.
Neither…nor…				Its meaning is negative and connects two negative concepts: a. I speak neither French nor German. • It means I don't speak French and I don't speak German. b. I neither smoke nor drink. • It means I don't smoke and I don't drink.
Either…or…				It is used to give two alternatives: a. We can go to either Greece or Spain for our holiday. • 'Greece' and 'Spain' are the two alternatives. b. It's my final offer – you can either take it or leave it.