Correlative Conjunctions

Lesson 1 Correlative Conjunctions

Essential Question

How do we highlight relationships between ideas in sentences?

Grammar in the World

Some words just go together

peanut butter and jelly	hammer and nail	salt and pepper

images from Canva

Correlative conjunctions also go together:

both...and

either...or

neither...nor

not...but

not only... but also

What Do I Know?

Use the interactive exercise below to see how much you already know about correlative conjunctions:

Building Blocks

Grammar is a complex system and structure of language. Mizzou Academy Grammar Lab spotlights one skill (or block) at a time. It is also helpful to see how each skill works together with other, related blocks to build the language structure as a whole. You may find the following resource topics helpful as context for this lesson:

Learn About Correlative Conjunctions

Conjunctions are the “glue words” that join words or parts of sentences together.

Correlative conjunctions are two conjunctions that work together in a sentence. They follow these rules:

They always come in pairs. Remember: “It takes two” or “The Buddy System” when it comes to these types of conjunctions.

Both...and
Whether...or
Not only...but also

They emphasize the relationship between two ideas.

Choice

Emphasis

Possibilities

They have equal weight in the sentence. The number of words after each conjunction should be about the same, and the words and phrases after the conjunction should have a similar grammatical structure.

Equal weight: We will both go sledding and build a snowman.

Unequal weight: We will both go sledding and be aware that this snow is good for building a snowman.

Correlative Conjunctions
Pair	Function	Example
either/or	gives a choice between two options	We will either go sledding or build a snowman.
neither/nor	makes two negative statements	We will neither go sledding nor build a snowman.
both/and	shows that two options are possible	We will both go sledding and build a snowman.
not only/but also	emphasizes two ideas	We will not only go sledding but also build a snowman.
whether/or	presents two possibilities	We will decide whether to go sledding or build a snowman.

Here are some other correlating conjunctions that show relationships and a balance of ideas in sentences.

as/as	Snowboarding is just as fun as skiing.
as many / as	I can see as many snowflakes as stars.
rather / than	She would rather drink hot cocoa than shovel the driveway.
no sooner / than	No sooner had the streets cleared from one snowfall than they were covered by the next.
such / that	Such is the reflective nature of snow that it appears white, blue, or pink.
scarcely / when	He could scarcely believe his eyes when he saw snowflakes larger than his head.

Do I Get It?

Read each sentence below and choose the best pair of correlative conjunctions to complete it.