What is a correlating conjunction?

Question

What is a correlating conjunction?

Answer 1

CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS

A correlative conjunction is essentially a coordinate conjunction used in pairs. A correlative conjunction gets its name from the fact that it is a paired conjunction that has a reciprocal or complementary relationship. Correlative conjunctions always join grammatically equal elements (e.g., noun & noun, adjective & adjective, phrase & phrase, clause & clause, etc.). They also lend equal weight to the joined elements; which is to say, one joined element is always equal to but never subordinate to the other. It's interesting to note that the second word of each conjunctive pair is a coordinating conjunction.

Note

Correlative conjunctions usually precede the joined elements, or conjuncts, immediately.

Correlative conjunctions are essentially paired coordinating conjunctions. The meaning expressed by a sentence with correlative conjunctions is basically the same as a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. The difference is only a matter of emphasis, where the correlative conjunction reinforces the fact that there are two equal elements or ideas in the sentence. Below are five pairs of correlative conjunctions commonly used in English.

either ..... or

neither ..... nor

not only ..... but also

whether ..... or

both ..... and