Mastering Correlative Conjunctions: Both…And, Either…Or, Neither…Nor

You're at a café. The server asks: "Coffee or tea?"

You might say: "I'll have both." Or: "Either one is fine." Or maybe: "Neither, thanks — just water."

That's real life. And that's exactly how correlative conjunctions work. They pair up two choices, two actions, or two ideas — and they make your English sound precise and natural.

The most common pairs are both…and, either…or, and neither…nor. Let's break them down so you can use them without second-guessing.

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Both…And — Talking About Two Things Together

Use both…and when you want to say that two items or ideas are true at the same time.

Rule: The verb is always plural because you're talking about two things together.

Examples:

• Both the manager and the assistant are on leave.
• She speaks both French and Spanish fluently.

Notice something? The verb are stays plural, even if one of the two subjects sounds singular. That's non-negotiable with both…and.

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Either…Or — One or the Other, Not Both

Use either…or when you're presenting a choice between two options. Only one of them will happen.

Rule: The verb agrees with the closer subject (the one right before the verb).

Examples:

• Either your brother or your parents are picking you up.
• Either your parents or your brother is picking you up.

See the difference? When your brother is closer to the verb, the verb is is (singular). When your parents is closer, the verb is are (plural).

This trips up a lot of learners. Train yourself to look at the last subject before the verb.

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Neither…Nor — None of the Two

Use neither…nor to say that both options are not true. It's the negative version of either…or.

Rule: Same as either…or — the verb agrees with the closer subject.

Examples:

• Neither the teacher nor the students want to stay late.
• Neither the students nor the teacher wants to stay late.

Important: Don't add a second negative later in the sentence. Write:

✅ I have neither the time nor the money.

❌ I don't have neither the time nor the money.

That double negative is a common mistake. One negative per sentence is enough.

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Quick Comparison Table

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct verb form. Answers are below.

1. Either the laptop or the charger ______ defective.
2. Both the director and the producer ______ happy with the script.
3. Neither the employees nor the boss ______ aware of the change.
4. You can have either pizza ______ pasta.
5. She speaks both English ______ Japanese.
6. Neither the rain nor the wind ______ stopping us.

Answers:

1. is (closer subject: the charger — singular)
2. are (both…and → always plural)
3. is (closer subject: the boss — singular)
4. or
5. and
6. is (closer subject: the wind — singular)

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A Quick Note on Parallel Structure

Here's something most guides skip: keep the two parts grammatically similar.

✅ She wants either to travel or to study abroad.

❌ She wants either to travel or studying abroad.

Same rule applies to both…and and neither…nor. Match nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, phrases with phrases. It keeps your sentences clean and professional.

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The Bottom Line

Correlative conjunctions aren't complicated — they're just pairs. Both…and means together. Either…or means choose one. Neither…nor means none of them.

The only tricky part is verb agreement with either…or and neither…nor. But with practice, that "closer subject" rule becomes automatic.

Ready to see how these show up in real tests? Check your current level with English Measure's free test — it covers reading, listening, writing, and speaking so you know exactly where to focus.

Take the free English level test →

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