Correlative Conjunctions

Syllabus tag: Kenya CBC | Grade 9 English | Theme 9.0 Heroes and Heroines | Strand 9.3 Grammar | Sub-Strand 9.3.1 Conjunctions: Correlative Conjunctions (2 Lessons)

Lesson objectives

By the end of this sub-strand, you should be able to:

• Identify correlative conjunctions in sentences.
• Use correlative pairs correctly to join equal elements.
• Apply parallel structure with correlative conjunctions.
• Apply the rules of subject-verb agreement after correlative pairs.

Summary

Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to join elements of equal weight: both ... and, either ... or, neither ... nor, not only ... but also, whether ... or. Because they come in pairs, they carry two requirements that single conjunctions do not. The elements joined must be parallel in form, and where the pair joins two subjects, the verb agreement follows a specific rule. Both requirements are examined regularly and both are easy to get wrong.