Conjunction words like both…and, either…or, and neither…nor are essential for joining ideas clearly in English. These correlative conjunctions help you express addition, choice, and negation with accurate grammar and natural sentence structure.
Conjunction Words
In English, conjunction words join words, phrases, and clauses. Three of the most common correlative pairs are both…and, either…or, and neither…nor.
Both…And
Both…and connects two positive elements and shows that both are true at the same time. The two parts should be similar in length and grammatical structure.
- We like both pizza and pasta.
- Both the cat and the dog are sleeping on the couch.
- The movie was both exciting and scary.
- She is both a doctor and a writer.
- Both the teacher and the students were happy with the test results.
When both…and connects two subjects, the subject is plural, so the verb should be plural.
- Both my sister and I are happy.
Parallel Structure:
With both…and, the two connected parts should be parallel.
- Correct: She is both smart and talented.
- Incorrect: She is both smart and a singer.
Either…Or
When we present two options, we can use either…or. Only one of the two choices is selected or true.
- You can either have pizza or pasta for dinner.
- Either you can come to the party tonight or we can go to the movies.
- We can either go to the beach or go hiking in the mountains.
- Either you can take the train or the bus to get to the city.
Subject–Verb Agreement (Proximity Rule):
With either…or, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
- Either the teacher or the students are going.
- Either the students or the teacher is going.
Either…or can be used with negative ideas, but a more natural option is often to use a direct negative structure.
- You can either finish your homework or face the consequences.
Neither…Nor
When we want to say that two negative options are not true, we can use neither…nor. This pair is already negative, so it should not be used with another negative word in the same clause.
- Neither the cat nor the dog ate their food.
- I like neither coffee nor tea.
- Neither the teacher nor the students understood the assignment.
- I want to go neither to the beach nor to the mountains.
Avoid Double Negatives:
Do not combine neither…nor with don’t/doesn’t/didn’t in the same clause.
- Incorrect: I don’t like neither coffee nor tea.
- Correct: I like neither coffee nor tea.
- Correct: I don’t like either coffee or tea.
Subject–Verb Agreement (Proximity Rule):
With neither…nor, the verb also follows the proximity rule.
- Neither the teacher nor the students are going.
- Neither the students nor the teacher is going.
Summary Table
| Correlative Pair | Meaning | Verb Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Both…and | Both A and B | Always plural | Both cats and dogs are pets. |
| Either…or | A or B (one choice) | Nearest subject | Either you or he is responsible. |
| Neither…nor | Not A and not B | Nearest subject | Neither beer nor wine is served. |
In formal writing, these pairs are most effective when you keep the structure parallel and place matching word types after each conjunction.
Last Updated on January 19, 2026
Please make some videos on could have been, would have been, because I’m very confused about using it.