Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that correlate two equally important clauses or phrases in one complete thought, that is, they link equivalent elements together (a verb to a verb, a noun to a noun, an adjective to an adjective).
Ang mga correlative conjunctions o mga pangatnig na nag-uugnay ay mga pares ng mga salita na nag-uugnay ng dalawang magkatulad na mahahalagang sugnay o parirala sa isang kumpletong kaisipan, ibig sabihin, pinag-uugnay nila ang mga katumbas na elemento (isang pandiwa sa isang pandiwa, isang pangngalan sa isang pangngalan, isang pang-uri sa pang-uri).
Correlative conjunctions are one of the three main types of conjunctions used in the English language to create smooth flow and reduce sentence fragments, along with coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions. Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to correlate two parts of a sentence of equal importance. Correlative conjunctions often connect two singular subjects with a singular verb, or two plural subjects with a plural verb. They apply a relation between two subjects or two verbs that act in tandem with each other.
(https://www.masterclass.com/articles/correlative-conjunctions-explained#what-is-a-correlative-conjunction)
Examples of Correlative Conjunctions
A. Either ... or - used in a sentence in the affirmative sense when referring to a choice between two possibilities. It connects two positive statements of equal weight and things of the same types, phrases, clauses, or words. It indicates that there is a choice between the two choices, and only one can be selected. The verb agrees with the noun that is closer to it.
Ang either/or (alinman/o)ay ginagamit sa isang pangungusap sa affirmative sense kapag tumutukoy sa isang pagpipilian sa pagitan ng dalawang posibilidad. Ito ay nag-uugnay ng dalawang positibong pahayag na may pantay na bigat at mga bagay na magkapareho ang uri, parirala, sugnay, o salita. Ito ay nagpapahiwatig na mayroong pipiliin sa pagitan ng dalawang pagpipilian, at isa lamang ang maaaring mapili. Ang pandiwa ay sumasang-ayon sa pangngalan na mas malapit dito.
Examples/Mga Halimbawa
1. Jenny likes to eat cake and ice cream but her money is just enough for one. What will she order?
She will order either cake or ice cream.
2. Edward wants to follow one of his parents' vocations. His mother is a doctor and his father is a lawyer. Next year, he will be entering university. What will Edward study?
Edward will study either medicine or law.
3. Half of the class likes to play basketball. The other half likes to play volleyball.
The class is to play either basketball or volleyball.
4. The excursionists don’t have a lot of time today, so they can either visit the zoo or watch an exhibition.
B. Neither ... nor - is used in a sentence in the negative sense when you want to say that two or more things are not true. It is used to connect the same kind of word or phrase in a sentence. It connects two negative statements of equal weight about two people or things. The verb agrees with the noun that is closer to it.
The combination neither/nor indicates that neither of the two choices can be selected. In other words, neither choice is available.
Ang neither / nor (wala/ ni o hindi / ni) ay ginagamit sa isang pangungusap sa negatibong kahulugan kapag gusto mong sabihin na ang dalawa o higit pang mga bagay ay hindi totoo. Ito ay ginagamit upang ikonekta ang parehong uri ng salita o parirala sa isang pangungusap. Nag-uugnay ito ng dalawang negatibong pahayag na may pantay na timbang tungkol sa dalawang tao o bagay. Ang pandiwa ay sumasang-ayon sa simuno (subject) pangngalan man o panghalip (either noun or pronoun) na mas malapit dito.
Ang kumbinasyong wala/ni o hindi/ni ay nagpapahiwatig na wala sa dalawang pagpipilian ang maaaring piliin. Sa madaling salita, walang available na pagpipilian.
Examples/Mga Halimbawa
1. Jenny does not want cake. She does not want ice cream, too.
Jenny wants neither cake nor ice cream.
2. Edward does not want to follow any of his parents' vocations. His mother is a doctor and his father is a lawyer. Next year, he will be entering university. What will Edward study?
Edward will study neither medicine nor law.
3. Half of the class does not like to play basketball. The other half does not like to play volleyball.
The class plays neither basketball nor volleyball.
4. The excursionists have no free time today, so they can neither visit the zoo nor watch an exhibition.
C. Both ... and = implies a correlation between two subjects that are performing the same action. It refers to two things or people together. The combination both/and indicates that the two items are equally presented and included. The grammar is both A and B, that is A and B represent both nouns, verbs, or adjectives. The verbs always take plural forms.
Ang both ... and (Pareho ...at) ay nagpapahiwatig ng ugnayan sa pagitan ng dalawang paksa na nagsasagawa ng parehong aksyon. Ito ay tumutukoy sa dalawang bagay o taong magkasama. Ang kumbinasyong pareho/at ay nagpapahiwatig na ang dalawang aytem ay pantay na ipinakita at kasama. Ang gramatika ay parehong A at B, iyon ay, ang A at B ay kumakatawan sa parehong mga pangngalan, pandiwa, o pang-uri. Ang mga pandiwa ay laging may maramihang anyo.
Examples/Mga Halimbawa
1. Thomas likes chocolate ice cream. He also likes strawberry ice cream.
Thomas likes both chocolate and strawberry ice cream.
2. The excursionists have a lot of time today. They can visit the zoo. They can also watch the exhibition.
The excursionists can both visit the zoo and watch the exhibition.
3. Anne plays the piano. Jessica plays the piano, too.
Both Anne and Jessica play the piano.
4. After shopping, the twins are tired. They are also hungry.
After shopping, the twins are both tired and hungry.
4. After shopping, the twins are tired. Their mother is also tired.
After shopping, both the twins and their mother are tired.
D. Not only...but also - used to connect and emphasize 2 words or 2 phrases at the same position. Both two phrases are being presented by the writer as surprising or unexpected, with the second one being even more surprising than the first. We use “not only but also” to give more information.
Ang not only ... but also (hindi lamang...kundi ... rin) ay ginagamit upang ikonekta at bigyang-diin ang 2 salita o 2 parirala sa parehong posisyon. Ang dalawang parehong parirala ay ipinakita ng manunulat bilang nakakagulat o hindi inaasahan, na ang pangalawa ay mas nakakagulat kaysa sa una. Ginagamit natin ang "hindi lamang... kundi ...rin" upang magbigay ng higit pang impormasyon.
It can be used to list adjective qualities, nouns or verbs, to show complementary qualities, quantities or actions, events, and states. We use it when we have two things and we want to give a little extra emphasis to the second thing because it’s even better, or even worse, or more surprising, or more impressive, or more shocking than the first thing.
The combination not only/but also is similar to both/and because it shows that both items presented are included. However, the item after not only is normally something we expect the speaker to say, whereas the item after but also is often something unexpected:
Ang kumbinasyong hindi lamang/kundi ay katulad din sa pareho/at dahil ipinapakita nito na ang parehong mga item na ipinakita ay kasama. Gayunpaman, ang item pagkatapos ng hindi lamang ay karaniwang isang bagay na inaasahan nating sasabihin ng tagapagsalita, samantalang ang item pagkatapos ng kundi ay kadalasang isang bagay na hindi inaasahan.
When using not only . . . but also in a sentence, parallelism should be the goal. It means that the words following both parts of this correlative conjunction (i.e., not only and but also) should belong to the same parts of speech. For example, if a verb follows not only, then a verb should also follow but also. The verb agrees with the noun that is closer to it.
Tandaan na gamitin ang pagkakasunod ng mga bahagi ng pangungusap kung gagamitin ang "not only ... but also" sa unahan o gitna ng pangungusap.
Examples/Mga Halimbawa
1. Beginning/Unahan ng Pangungusap
a. Not only + verb + subject…but also + subject + verb.
Not only are Donnalyn's children inquisitive, but also they are clever.
b. Not only + verb + subject…but + subject + also + verb…
Not only did Bong Bong cook dinuguan but he also served them.
Not only did Guillermo Tolentino sculpt the UP Oblation but he also did the Bonifacio Monument.
c. Not only + verb + subject…but also…
Not only will they paint the inside of the villa but also the outside.
d. Not only + subject + but also + subject + verb ...
Not only George but also Terry has come to the seminar.
Not only bananas but also avocado is rich in potassium.
2. Middle/Gitna ng Pangungusap
a. Subject + Verb + not only + Adjective + but also + Adjective
(Simuno + Pandiwa + not only + Pang-uri + but also + Pang-uri)
Madelyn is not only beautiful but also intelligent.
b. Subject + Verb + not only + Adverb + but also + Adverb
(Simuno + Pandiwa + not only + Pang-abay + but also + Pang-abay)
Donald dances not only gracefully but also effortlessly.
c. Subject + Verb + not only + Noun + but also Noun
(Simuno + Pandiwa + not only + Pangngalan + but also + Pangngalan)
Sheila likes not only pancit but also spaghetti.
Jenny likes to eat cake. She also likes to eat ice cream.
Jenny likes to eat not only cake but also ice cream.
d. Subject + not only + Verb + but also + Verb
(Simuno + not only + Pandiwa + but also + Pandiwa)
Gabby not only writes music but also sings it.
Other Correlative Conjuctions
E. Whether/or = connects two possible actions of a subject.
Ang whether/or (kung ... o) ay nag-uugnay ng dalawang posibleng gawin ng simuno.
Examples/Mga Halimbawa
1. I was not sure whether Father would visit us or not.
2. I do not care whether Tommy comes to my birthday or not.
3. Lucy may or may not come with us. We will have to go.
We will have to go whether Lucy may come with us or not.
4. Danny does not like Faith. He will have to marry him.
Donny will have to marry Faith whether he likes her or not.
Whether or not he likes her, Donny will have to marry Faith.
F. Rather/than = presents a subject’s preference for one thing over another.
Ang rather/than (sa halip na) ay nagpapahayag ng pagpili ng simuno sa isang aksyon, tao, bagay, atbp. sa halip na ibang aksyon, tao, bagay, atbp.
Examples/ Mga Halimbawa
1. Cely would rather have tea than coffee.
2. Rene would rather call than text his mother.
3. My sister would rather cook than wash the dishes.
G. Such/that - connects two independent clauses in a way that applies a reason for an action.
Ang such.than [ganyan (ganito/ganoon)/kaya] ay nag-uugnay sa dalawang independiyenteng sugnay sa paraang naglalapat ng dahilan para sa isang aksyon.
Examples/Mga Halimbawa
1. It was a very hot afternoon. We stopped playing soccer.
It was such a hot afternoon that we stopped playing soccer.
2. The lecture was very boring. The students felt asleep.
The lecture was such boring that the students felt asleep.
3. Marie has very fine manners. Her classmates like her.
Maris has such fine manners that her classmates like her.
H. As/as compares nouns using an adjective or an adverb.
Ang as/as (kasing-) ay nagkukumpara ng panggalan gamit ang pang-uri o pang-abay.
Examples/Mga Halimbawa
1. The rose is fragrant. The sampaguita is fragrant.
The rose is as fragrant as the sampaguita.
2. A lion can run 80 km/h. A cheetah can run 130 km/h.
A lion cannot run as fast as a cheetah.
3. Norman weighs 60 kg. Ronnie weighs 60 kg.
Norman is as heavy as Ronnie.
4. Sydney recorded 10oC yesterday. Melbourne recorded 8ooC yesterday.
Sydney was not as cold as Melbourne yesterday.
I. Scarcely (Hardly)/when - used to combine or rewrite sentences denoting two simultaneous past actions.
Ang scarcely (hardly)/when (Bahagya/nang) ay ginagamit upang pagsamahin o muling isulat ang mga pangungusap na nagsasaad ng dalawang magkasabay na nakaraang aksyon.
Examples/Mga Halimbawa
1. I reached the bus station. At once, the bus left.
Scarcely/Hardly had I reached the bus station when the bus left.
2. As soon as Martha left the building, it collapsed.
Scarcely/Hardly had Martha left the building when it collapsed.
3. No sooner did Tommy close the door than it rained heavily.
Scarcely/Hardly had Tommy closed the door when it rained heavily.
J. Not/but is used when the subject has both the first and the second quality or the first quality is wrong, and the second is right.
Examples/Mga Halimbawa
1. Sheila does not have one mansion. She has two.
Sheila owns not one but two mansions.
2. Joemari cried loudly. It was not for sadness. It's for joy.
Joemari cried loudly not for sadness but for joy
3. I saw the dead bodies of a mother and her son.
I saw not two dead bodies, but love and innocence.
There are a variety of helpful tips and rules for properly using these parts of speech in your sentences. Here are a few rules to follow when using correlative conjunctions.
1. Mind your subject-verb agreement. Subjects and verbs need to match when using correlative conjunctions. Singular subjects must match singular verbs, and plural subjects must match plural verbs. If you have multiple subjects, match the verb to the subject that is closest to the verb. For instance, youwould say: “Both the owner and his dogs run through the park,” instead of “Both the owner and his dogs runs through the park.”
Treat a subject that features either/or or neither/nor as singular if the elements after the conjunctions are singular. If one is plural, put it nearest to the verb and use a plural verb.
2. Ensure your pronoun agreement. Similar to subject-verb agreements, pronouns must also agree with their verbs when using correlative conjunctions. For example, “She plays tennis” is the correct agreement between pronoun and verb rather than “She play tennis.” This can be confusing when the pronoun’s antecedent is part of a correlative conjunction pair, however, if there is more than one subject, use the agreement for the closest noun or noun phrase. Let’s use the example sentence: “Not just my sister but my friends were all there as well.” In this case, “were” matches the plurality of “friends” rather than matching it to the singular “sister.”
3. Make sure your sentence has a parallel structure. Parallelism is important in grammatical structure for tracking the subjects of your sentences. Parallel structure deals with the grammatical form of your sentences, such as when discussing multiple items or making a list. For example, let’s look at the two sentences: “My mom not only likes to hike, but also is a fan of camping” and “My mom not only likes hiking but also camping.” In the second phrase, “hiking” and “camping” are parallel, while “to hike” and “camping” are not parallel with each other in the first sentence.
Position your correlative conjunctions in your sentence so the same type of word follows each one. In other words, use a parallel structure.
4. Use a comma with independent clauses. Only use a comma when your correlative conjunction separates two independent clauses, and avoid using it to separate the correlative conjunctions themselves. For example, let’s look at the two sentences: “Neither you, nor I should wear pastels,” and “Neither you nor I should wear pastels.” In this example, the latter is correct because both subjects depend on the same verb, which is “wear.”
Don't use a comma with a correlative conjunction unless the words after it could be a standalone sentence (i.e., contain a subject, a verb and convey a complete idea).
5. Watch out for double negatives. Neither/nor indicates a negative connotation, so be sure your main clause does not also contain a negative verb phrase on top of that. “I can’t neither see it nor hear it,” is not correct because “can’t” already provides a negative. The correct version would be: “I can neither see it nor hear it.”
Don't use a negative verb with neither/nor otherwise you'll create a double negative.
EXERCISES
Complete each sentence using the correct correlative conjunction pair from the parenthesis:
1. Shelly plans to take her annual leave _________ in September _________ in December. (rather/than, whether / or, either / or, as / if)
2. _________ Mother is feeling happy _________ sad, she tries to keep a positive attitude. (Either / or, Whether / or, When / and, Neither/nor)
3. _________ had I taken my shoes off _________ I found out we had to leave again. (As / as, Rather / than, Scarcely/when, Whether / or)
4. _________ only is coconut water delicious, _________ it can be healthy. (Such/that, Whether / or, Not / but, Just as / so)
5. _________ I have roast beef for dinner, _____________________I cannot have ice cream for dessert. (Either/or, If /then, When / than, Whether / or)
6. _________ flowers _________ trees grow during warm weather. (Not only / or, Both / and, Not / but, Neither/nor)
7. _________ do we enjoy summer vacation, _________ we enjoy winter break. (Whether / or, Not only / but also, Either / or, As/as)
8. Terry is 5 feet tall. Her brother is also 5 feet tall. Terry is ______ tall _____ her brother. (either/or, neither/nor, both/an, as/as)
9. The clouds are very dark. It’s _________ going to snow _________ rain tonight. (neither/nor, as / if, either / or, as / as)
10. Savory dishes are _________ sweet _________ sour. (often / and, neither / nor, both / and, either/or)
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