Linking & Connectors

Paired Conjunctions

What are paired conjunctions?

Paired conjunctions — also called correlative conjunctions — come in two halves that work together to link two things. You cannot use one half without the other.

Pair	What it does	Example
both … and	emphasises that the two things are equally important	Being creative means both* having innovative ideas and putting them into practice.*
either … or	offers a choice between two possibilities	You should either* turn your phone off or leave it in another room.*
neither … nor	joins two negative options	It is neither* a passive nor a formulaic process.*
not only … but also	joins two things, where the second is slightly surprising or adds weight	Creativity not only* varies between individuals but also varies across your life.*

Note: the halves are fixed. Either goes with or; neither goes with nor. Mixing them (either … nor) is always wrong.

Rule 1 — keep the two halves parallel

Whatever grammatical form follows the first half must also follow the second. Noun with noun, verb with verb, -ing with -ing, clause with clause.

both + X + and + X · either + X + or + X

✓ both having ideas and putting them into practice (two -ing forms)

✓ The course is both interesting and useful. (two adjectives)

✗ The course is both interesting and it is useful. (adjective + clause)

Quick test: cover the first half and read the rest. If the sentence still works with just the second item, the structure is parallel.

Rule 2 — which verb form?

When a paired conjunction joins two subjects, the verb doesn't always agree with both of them.

Pair	The verb agrees with	Example
both … and	always plural	Both my sister and my brother live* in Canada.*
either … or	the nearer subject	Either the twins or their mother is coming.
neither … nor	the nearer subject	Neither the manager nor the assistants were* told.*
not only … but also	the nearer subject	Not only the staff but also the director was* surprised.*

Only both … and makes a genuine plural. The other three offer or deny options, so the verb looks at whichever subject sits closest to it.

Two things to watch

Neither … nor is already negative. Don't add a second negative to the sentence.

✗ I don't like neither tea nor coffee.

✓ I like neither tea nor coffee. / ✓ I don't like either tea or coffee.

Not only at the start of a sentence triggers inversion. The subject and auxiliary swap places in the first clause, exactly as in a question.

Not only did she win the race, but she also broke the record.

Not only was the flight delayed, but we also lost our luggage.

Note: in mid-sentence there is no inversion — She not only won the race but also broke the record. The also can move too: but she also broke it, but she broke it as well.

Common mistakes

Most errors are a mismatched half, a broken parallel, a doubled negative, or the wrong verb form.

⚠ Common mistakes:
✗ You can either take the bus nor walk. → ✓ either take the bus or walk
✗ It is both interesting and it is useful. → ✓ both interesting and useful
✗ I don't like neither tea nor coffee. → ✓ I like neither tea nor coffee.
✗ Both my sister and my brother lives abroad. → ✓ live abroad
✗ Neither the manager nor the assistants was told. → ✓ were told
✗ Not only she won, but she also broke the record. → ✓ Not only did she win

Match the Sentence Halves

Click a sentence beginning on the left, then click its matching ending on the right.

Matched 0 / 5

Fill in the Gaps

Complete each sentence with the missing half of the pair. The bracket shows the half that is already there.

Find the Mistake

One sentence, four underlined parts. Click the lettered part that contains the error — it is not always in the grammar of this lesson, so read the whole sentence.

Put the Words in Order

Click the words to build the correct sentence. Click a placed word to remove it.

Answer the Questions

Write your own answers using paired conjunctions. Then click "Show Model Answer" to compare.