Correlative Conjunctions

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The second grammatical form of conjunctions is the correlative conjunction.Correlative conjunctions also link or coordinate two or more linguistic constituents.  The word correlative (adjective) means a similar relationship of some kind. Thus correlative conjunctions join similar concepts of a sentence together.  Correlative conjunctions are: either / or,  neither / nor, whether / or, both / and, not only / but also. The first word or words of the above mentioned pairs are correlative conjunctions. The second word or words in the previous pairs of conjunctions are coordinating conjunctions. Therefore, correlative conjunctions only appear in pairs with coordinating conjunctions.

Either / or - 1. Perhaps when I went up to Oxford Papa would allow me to spend my vacations either at my rooms there or at the townhouse in London. (Howatch, 1971:328). 2. Let it suffice to say that I hope you won`t become acquainted with either Harry or Clarissa while you`re staying with me at Morvah. (Howatch, 1971:48). 3. Most girls of my class were by that time either wives or mothers or both. (Howatch, 1971:106). 4. Either you marry me and leave Jared alone or else you marry Jared and that` s that. (Howatch, 1971:110). 5. I was resentful but too wrapped up in my misery, too desolated by life`s unfairness to feel either violently angry or violently humiliated. (Howatch, 1971:132). 

Neither / nor – 1. He gave neither Nigel nor myself long lectures about moral conduct but merely took it for granted that we would follow in his footsteps. (Howatch, 1971:17). 2. I`m not going to that wedding and neither you nor anyone else is going to persuade me to change my mind. (Howatch, 1971:338). 3. She looked neither to right nor to left. (Howatch, 1971:5). 4. If he`s made up his mind to close that mine neither you nor I nor anyone else is going to persuade him to keep it open. (Howatch, 1971:457). 5. If you won`t promise then I`ll tell him what`s going on and I`ll see you get neither house nor coin. (Howatch, 1971:117).

Whether /or  1.  She couldn`t care less whether she has the vote or not. (Howatch, 1971:305). 2. “After some indecision my wife has agreed to stay at the townhouse,“ he said, fidgeting with a cigar as if he could not make up his mind whether to light it or not. (Howatch, 1971:331). 3. I don`t want to waste time while I wait for you to go there and back to find out whether he`s there or not. (Howatch, 1971:184). 4. I could not decide whether this was the result of his advanced education or because he was still young enough to enjoy disagreeing with his elders. (Howatch, 1971:159). 5. Marcus and Mariana began to argue about whether the baby would be sent to Allengate or not. (Howatch, 1971:269). 

Both / and – 1. For hours and hours he would be closeted in his study, both in the morning and in the evening, and in the afternoons he would usually choose to go out for a walk by himself to think. (Howatch, 1971:157). 2. I discovered some incomplete records which Giles Penmar had obviously never asked to see, and the very next day I told both the steward and the housekeeper that they might pack their bags and leave. (Howatch, 1971:167). 3. She was the most exhausting woman, and I was exhausted enough already, both on account of the reorganization of the house and the fact that I was expecting another baby in May. (Howatch, 1971:170). 4. They were much the same age, both at odds with the world, both ready to defy and scorn anyone who crossed them, both fiercely independent. (Howatch, 1971:198). 5. You can`t be friends with both him and me. (Howatch, 1971:266).

Not only /but also- 1. Since it was a highly controversial issue not only between Tories and Liberals but also between Liberals and other Liberals, the war soon became a leading topic of conversation whenever the subject of politics could be suitably introduced into a social gathering. (Howatch, 1971:204).

CORPUS – Howatch, Susan. (1971). Penmarric. New York: Simon and Schuster.

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