Explanation and Extra Practice
Paired conjunctions (also called correlative conjunctions) are pairs of words that work together to connect ideas in a sentence. They always come in pairs and help show a relationship between the ideas or things they join. Here are the most common paired conjunctions explained simply:
1. Both … and
- Use: To talk about two things that are true or that happen.
- Example:
“Both my brother and I like pizza.” (This means my brother likes pizza, and I like pizza.)
2. Not only … but also
- Use: To show that two surprising or important things are true.
- Example:
“She is not only smart but also funny.” (She is smart, and she is funny. Both are true.)
3. Either … or
- Use: To talk about a choice between two things.
- Example:
“You can either watch TV or read a book.” (You have two options: watch TV or read a book.)
4. Neither … nor
- Use: To talk about two things that are not true.
- Example:
“Neither Tom nor Jerry likes carrots.” (Tom doesn’t like carrots, and Jerry doesn’t like carrots.)
5. Whether … or
- Use: To talk about two possibilities. It means you don’t know which will happen.
- Example:
“I don’t know whether to go to the party or stay home.” (You are thinking about two things but haven’t decided.)
6. Whether … or not
- Use: To talk about something that will happen in any case, no matter what.
- Example:
“She will go to the meeting whether you help her or not.” (She will go even if you don’t help her.)
7. So … that
- Use: To show a result. Something happens so much that it causes something else.
- Example:
“He was so tired that he fell asleep quickly.” (He was very tired, and because of this, he fell asleep quickly.)
8. No sooner … than
- Use: To show that one thing happens immediately after another thing.
- Example:
“No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang.” (As soon as I sat down, the phone rang right away.)
Extra Practice!
Beginner Level: Paired Conjunctions Quiz
- ___ my brother ___ I have visited Paris.
a) Both … and
b) Whether … or
c) So … that - She is ___ tall ___ fast.
a) Not only … but also
b) Either … or
c) So … that - They will ___ go swimming ___ stay at home today.
a) Both … and
b) Either … or
c) Whether … or - ___ Tom ___ Jerry likes pizza.
a) Neither … nor
b) Both … and
c) Whether … or not - I can’t decide ___ to buy the red shirt ___ the blue one.
a) Not only … but also
b) Either … or
c) So … that - He was ___ tired ___ he fell asleep immediately.
a) So … that
b) Both … and
c) Neither … nor - ___ Anna ___ Sam wants to go to the party.
a) Either … or
b) Neither … nor
c) Both … and - You can ___ come with us ___ stay at home.
a) So … that
b) Whether … or
c) Either … or - ___ did he forget his keys ___ his wallet.
a) Both … and
b) Not only … but also
c) Neither … nor - The test was ___ difficult ___ no one passed it.
a) So … that
b) Both … and
c) Either … or - We will decide ___ we should go now ___ later.
a) Whether … or
b) Both … and
c) Neither … nor - ___ the teacher ___ the students were happy with the result.
a) Neither … nor
b) Both … and
c) Whether … or - ___ will she accept the job ___ she won’t.
a) Either … or
b) Whether … or not
c) So … that - ___ he arrived ___ the show began.
a) So … that
b) No sooner … than
c) Either … or - I’m not sure ___ he will come ___ .
a) So … that
b) Whether … or not
c) Both … and
Answers: 1a, 2a, 3b, 4a, 5b, 6a, 7b, 8c, 9b, 10a, 11a, 12a+b, 13b, 14b, 15b
Intermediate Level: Paired Conjunctions Quiz
- He speaks ___ French ___ German fluently.
a) Both … and
b) So … that
c) Neither … nor - I can’t decide ___ to eat pizza ___ pasta for dinner.
a) Neither … nor
b) So … that
c) Whether … or - ___ did he study all night ___ he took extra notes.
a) Not only … but also
b) Both … and
c) Neither … nor - We will visit ___ London ___ Paris next summer.
a) Both … and
b) Whether … or
c) Either … or - The storm was ___ strong ___ it knocked down trees.
a) Neither … nor
b) So … that
c) No sooner … than - I’ll help you ___ you ask ___ not.
a) Whether … or
b) Both … and
c) Either … or - They can ___ buy a new car ___ repair the old one.
a) Either … or
b) Both … and
c) Not only … but also - ___ my parents ___ my sister know about the surprise.
a) Neither … nor
b) No sooner … than
c) Whether … or - She is ___ intelligent ___ hardworking.
a) So … that
b) Not only … but also
c) No sooner … than - ___ had we finished dinner ___ it started raining.
a) So … that
b) No sooner … than
c) Neither … nor - He is considering ___ to stay in the country ___ to move abroad.
a) Whether … or
b) Both … and
c) Neither … nor - You will not pass the exam ___ you work hard ___ .
a) Either … or
b) So … that
c) Whether … or not - I wasn’t sure ___ to take a taxi ___ to walk.
a) Whether … or
b) Either … or
c) So … that - ___ did they clean the house ___ they painted it.
a) So … that
b) Not only … but also
c) Both … and - ___ had we left the house ___ we realized we forgot the tickets.
a) Neither … nor
b) No sooner … than
c) So … that
Answers: 1a+c, 2c, 3a, 4a+c, 5b, 6a, 7a+b+c, 8a, 9b, 10b, 11a, 12c, 13a, 14b, 15b
Advanced Level: Paired Conjunctions Quiz
- ___ had the meeting started ___ the fire alarm went off.
a) No sooner … than
b) Either … or
c) Not only … but also - He is ___ dedicated ___ he never takes a day off.
a) So … that
b) Not only … but also
c) Either … or - We will ___ fly ___ take a train depending on the weather.
a) Whether … or not
b) Either … or
c) Both … and - I will help you ___ you need me ___ .
a) Whether … or
b) Whether … or not
c) Not only … but also - ___ did she study hard ___ she won a scholarship.
a) Either … or
b) No sooner … than
c) Not only … but also - I don’t know ___ we should go hiking ___ stay at home.
a) Whether … or
b) So … that
c) Either … or - ___ does she dance well ___ she sings beautifully.
a) Not only … but also
b) Both … and
c) So … that - The project was ___ complex ___ it took several weeks to complete.
a) Both … and
b) Neither … nor
c) So … that - We were ___ late ___ the event had already started.
a) Either … or
b) So … that
c) No sooner … than - They have ___ time ___ money to invest in the project.
a) Neither … nor
b) Either … or
c) So … that - He was ___ honest ___ he confessed to his mistake immediately.
a) Not only … but also
b) So … that
c) Either … or - She will travel ___ to Japan ___ to China next year.
a) Either … or
b) No sooner … than
c) Whether … or - ___ had he entered the room ___ the phone rang.
a) No sooner … than
b) So … that
c) Neither … nor - ___ the students ___ the teacher was excited about the trip.
a) Neither … nor
b) Both … and
c) Whether … or - ___ will I help you ___ I will explain everything.
a) Neither … nor
b) No sooner … than
c) Not only … but also
Answers: 1a, 2a, 3b, 4b, 5c, 6a, 7a, 8c, 9b, 10a, 11b, 12a, 13a, 14a, 15c