What are Correlative Conjunctions?

Whether you’ve heard of them or not, you’ve certainly seen correlative conjunctions in action.

Either …or … does it ring a bell?

There’s a lot of confusion when using correlative conjunctions, and neither advanced English learners nor native speakers are immune to it.

Don’t worry, though. We’re giving you a comprehensive guide on how to use correlative conjunctions properly. We’ll explain what correlative conjunctions are, compare their use to that of other conjunctions, and provide tips on how to avoid common correlative conjunction mistakes.

Be sure to read through both our detailed explanation of correlative conjunctions and the many examples of correlative conjunctions.

Correlative conjunctions explained

Correlative conjunctions are parts of speech that come in pairs and join words, phrases, and clauses to show how strongly related the two connected grammatical elements are. Along with coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions help us add corroborating, explanatory, or contradictory information to a sentence.

Below we have two sentences, followed by examples of how we can use the three types of conjunctions to join them:

• Michael Jackson is a well-known artist throughout the world. His music is very popular worldwide.
  

• Due to the popularity of his music, Michael Jackson is a well-known artist throughout the world. [Subordinating conjunction]
  

• Michael Jackson is a well-known artist, and his music is very popular throughout the world.
  [Coordinating conjunction]
  

• Both Michael Jackson and his music are well-known throughout the world.
  [Correlative conjunction]
  

Though conjunctions carry out a similar role, each conjunction type allows for a unique way of adding details.

Correlative conjunctions are helpful when we want to show that two points or ideas are equally important or valid. The name “correlative” implies this function, since two joined elements are correlated, meaning they have a shared or complementary relationship within this conjunction structure.

There are stars in outer space. There are also planets in outer space.

In these sentences, stars and planets have one thing in common; They can be found in outer space. We can thus use a correlative conjunction pair both…and to combine the sentences while ensuring their shared relationship is underscored:

• There are both stars and planets in outer space.
  

List of correlative conjunctions

Review the list of correlative conjunctions and the accompanying examples

Did you notice how each conjunction pair highlights the correlative relationship between two words, phrases, or clauses? The correlative conjunction structures reveal the equality of two choices, and at times conveys how one idea is directly tied to or measured by another:

• Either stop smoking or prepare for a future full of health problems.
  

In this example, the speaker highlights that there are two opposite and equally valid options available – stopping smoking or preparing for a future full of health problems.

• Let’s discuss both the budget of the event and its itinerary during our next meeting.
  

In this sentence, the speaker expresses that discussing the budget and the itinerary of the event are of equal importance or relevance at the next meeting.

• The more languages people learn, the more aware they are about the world around them.

Here, the correlation is made between learning more languages and being more aware of the world. As their knowledge of language increases, so does the learner’s awareness of the world.

If the above list seems long, focus on understanding the more commonly used correlative conjunctions:

• either … or
• neither…nor
• both…and
• whether … or
• not only … but also

Correlative conjunctions versus other conjunctions

Out of the three types of English conjunctions, coordinating and correlative conjunctions have the most in common.

Subordinating conjunctions are different from the other two in that they join two disparate grammatical elements – an independent clause and a dependent clause. There are also many more of these conjunction type:

• In order to learn a language, you should practice it every day.
  

• Unlike the rest of the family, Hannah enjoys gardening and attending to plants.
  

Both correlative conjunctions and coordinating conjunctions join parallel grammatical structures.

I’m afraid of elevators. I am afraid of tall buildings. (two separate sentences).

• I’m afraid of elevators and tall buildings. (coordinating conjunction example)
  

• I’m afraid of both elevators and tall buildings. (correlative conjunction example)
  

If you join the fear of elevators and tall buildings with the coordinating conjunction and, you’re just listing things that you’re afraid of. By using correlative conjunction both…and instead, you’re emphasizing that you are equally as afraid of elevators as you are of tall buildings.

Essentially, use correlative conjunctions when you want to emphasize the parallel relationship between two ideas.

Common Correlative conjunction mistakes

Working with correlative conjunctions can be trickier than the other conjunctions. That’s because we don’t use them as often, and also because they come in pairs.

Here are some common mistakes when using correlative conjunctions and suggestions on how to avoid them.

Incorrect word order

Syntax errors are common when using correlative conjunctions. We typically place the correlative conjunctions in front of the pair of grammatical elements they are connecting:

• There both is a thunderstorm and a cold front headed our way next weekend. [INCORRECT]
  

• There is both a thunderstorm and a cold front headed our way next weekend. [CORRECT]
  

Most of the correlative conjunction pairs follow each other and precede or come after the main verb of the sentence together:

• Neither paid time off (PTO) is important to me nor a huge salary. [INCORRECT]
  

• Neither paid time off (PTO) nor a huge salary is important to me. [CORRECT]
  

When modal auxiliary verbs are used, the correlative conjunction typically goes between the modal verb and the main verb:

• Tenants not only can buy homes in this area but also rent them. [INCORRECT]
  

• Tenants can not only buy homes in this area but also rent them. [CORRECT]
  

Mastering word order when it comes to correlative conjunctions is challenging, and there are more potential sentence structure errors you might make or encounter.

Make sure to thoroughly master the common correlative conjunctions before attempting the more complex ones. Review the above list and correlative conjunction examples to better grasp the placement of correlative conjunctions within a sentence.

Improper comma use

Commas are not typically added to separate elements joined by correlative conjunctions, even when connecting two clauses:

• We can either cancel our upcoming trip or figure out how to raise our budget.
  

• I have neither the time to deal with this problem nor the patience to listen to you talk about it.
  

• The committee is unsure whether they’ll decide on the matter this month or wait until next month.
  

Exceptions can occur when joining two independent clauses to create complex sentences, and if adding a comma would lead to a better understanding of the sentence. We also typically use a comma to separate clauses joined by the correlative conjunctions just as…so too and the…the.

• The longer I study French, the more I fall in love with the culture.
  

• Just as your hair needs trimming, so too does mine.
  

Lack of subject/verb agreement

Grammatically sound English sentences should maintain proper subject-verb agreement. While using correlative conjunctions, ensure that your verb is conjugated properly per the number of the subject (singular or plural).

When the conjunctions neither…nor, either … or, and whether… or are part of a sentence’s subject, we conjugate the verb for the third-person singular:

• Neither going to the park nor watching a film at the cinema sounds interesting to me.

• I don’t remember whether Judy or Carol leaves early on Fridays.

  For both…and, the verb conjugation is done for the third person plural:

• Both basketball and American football are popular sports in the United States.

Both English learners and native speakers tend to make these different errors when using correlative conjunctions in their speech and writing, so be mindful of them when using this conjunction type.

Additionally, make sure you’re not leaving one of two correlative conjunction pairs out (they always come in two!), and avoid overusing them in general. Try using the other conjunctions in your speech in combination with correlative conjunctions.

If you’re eager to brush up on essential rules, review our basics English grammar rules guide.

More correlative conjunction examples

• We either arrive early and eat breakfast at the resort or get there late and have breakfast here.
  

• Neither Sarah nor John has agreed to the new budget.
  

• Both the bathroom and the kitchen should be redesigned.
  

• He’s not sure yet whether he’ll attend the party or skip it altogether.
  

• Such was their boss’s satisfaction to the team’s effort that they all got a promotion!
  

• We should not only bring some dessert with us to the party but also some recyclable paper plates to serve it in.
  

• Just as his shock upon learning the truth was unexpected, so was what he did afterward.
  

• I haven’t spent as much time studying this summer as I wanted to.
  

• The longer you spend working out, the easier it will become.
  

• He would rather stop working before his retirement than continue doing this job.
  

• No sooner had the media aired the news than social media began going wild.
  

• Hardly had he moved into his new office when he was laid off.
  

• The winter in New York is (just) as cold as the winter in London.
  

Give correlative conjunctions a try!

Now that you can answer the question – what is a correlative conjunction?, and that you know more of them, it’s time to put them into practice.

Though you can use any of the three English conjunction types to add nuance to your sentences, correlative conjunctions are better suited for highlighting the equal importance or relevance of two parallel grammatical structures, and to show how strongly related they are.

Start with the common correlative conjunctions either…or, neither…nor, and but…also, and remember to follow our tips to avoid common mistakes when using correlative conjunctions, including incorrect subject-verb agreement, improper comma use, or wrong sentence order.