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Mastering Coordinating Conjunctions

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24 views6 pages

Mastering Coordinating Conjunctions

Uploaded by

INTERPRETATION CLASS
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

KELAS BINTARA

ENGLISH
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

A. PARALLEL STRUCTURE

Use coordinating conjunction: AND, BUT, OR, NOR

NOUN + AND + NOUN


VERB + AND + VERB
ADJECTIVE + BUT + ADJECTIVE
INFINITIVE + OR + INFINITIVE

Example:

a. Steve and his friend are coming to dinner.


b. Susan raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
c. He is waving his arms and shouting at us.
d. These shoes are old but comfortable.
e. He wants to watch TV or listen to some music.

Exercise 1. Underline the parallel structure in each sentence and give the pattern that is

used, as shown in the examples.

1. The old man is extremely kind and generous. (Adjective + and + adjective)

2. He received a pocket calculator and a wool sweater for his birthday. (noun + and + noun)

3. She spoke angrily and bitterly about the war. ( + and + )

4. I looked for my book but couldn’t find it. ( + but + )

5. I hope to go to that university and study under Dr. Liu. ( + and + )

6. In my spare time, I enjoy reading novels or watching television. ( + and + )

7. He will leave at night and arrive at nine. ( + and + )

8. He should have broken his engagement to Beth and married Sue instead. ( + and +

Exercise 2. Parallel structure makes repeating the same words unnecessary. Combine the

given sentences into one concise sentence that contains parallel structure. Punctuate

carefully.

1. Mary opened the door. Mary greeted her guests.

 Mary opened the door and greeted her guests.

2. Mary is opening the door. Mary is greeting her guests.

3. Mary will open the door. Mary will greet her guests.

4. Alice is kind. Alice is generous. Alice is trustworthy.

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KELAS BINTARA
ENGLISH
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

5. Please try to speak more loudly. Please try to speak more clearly.

6. He gave her flowers on Sunday. He gave her candy on Monday. He gave her a ring on Tuesday.

7. While we were in New York, we attended an opera. While we were in New York, we ate at marvelous

restaurants. While we were in New York, we visited some old friends.

8. He decided to quit school. He decided to go to California. He decided to find a job.

9. I am looking forward to going to Italy. I am looking forward to eating wonderful pasta every day.

10. I should have finished my homework. I should have cleaned up my room.

11. The boy was old enough to work. The boy was old enough to earn some money.

12. He preferred to play baseball. Or he preferred to spend his time in the streets with other boys.

13. I like coffee. I do not like tea.

 I like coffee but not tea.

14. I have met his mother. I have not met his father.

15. Jake would like to live in Puerto Rico. He would not like to live in Iceland.

Exercise 3. Error analysis: parallel structure

Directions: Correct the errors.

1. By obeying the speed limit, we can save energy, lives, and it costs us less.

2. My home offers me a feeling of security, warm, and love.

3. The pioneers labored to clear away the forest and planting crops.

4. When I refused to help her, she became very angry and shout at me.

5. In my spare time, I enjoy taking care of my aquarium and to work on my stamp collection.

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KELAS BINTARA
ENGLISH
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

6. With their keen sight, fine hearing, and they have a refined sense of smell, wolves hunt elk, deer,

moose, and caribou.

7. All plants need light, to have a suitable climate, and an ample supply of water and minerals from the

soil.

8. Slowly and being cautious, the firefighter ascended the burned staircase.

9. The Indian cobra snake and the king cobra use poison from their fangs in two ways: by injecting it

directly into their prey or they spit it into the eyes of the victim.

10. On my vacation I lost a suitcase, broke my glasses, and I missed my flight home.

11. When Anna moved, she had to rent an apartment, make new friends, and to find a job.

B. PAIRED CONJUNCTIONS: BOTH …… AND; NOT ONLY …… BUT ALSO; EITHER … OR; NEITHER

… NOR

Both + S1 and S2 + V (plural) + O/C

Example: Both my mother and my sister are here.

Not only S1 but also S2 + V


Either S1 or S2 + V
Neither S1 nor S2 + V

The subject that is closer to the verb determines whether the verb is singular or plural.

Example:
Not only my mother but also my sister is here.
Not only my sister but also my parents are here.
Neither my mother nor my sister is here.
Neither my sister nor my parents are here.

The same grammatical form should follow each part of the paired conjunctions.

Both + noun + and + noun


Not only + verb + but also + verb
Either + noun + or + noun
Neither + adjective + nor + adjective

Example:
The research project will take both time and money.
Yesterday it not only rained but (also) snowed.
I’ll take either chemistry or physics next quarter.
That book is neither interesting nor accurate.

Exercise 1: Add is or are to each sentence.


1. Both the teacher and the student are here.
2. Neither the teacher nor the student _____ here.
3. Not only the teacher but also the student _____ here.
4. Not only the teacher but also the students _____ here.
5. Either the students or the teacher _____ planning to come.
6. Either the teacher or the students _____ planning to come.
7. Both the students and the teachers _____ planning to come.

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KELAS BINTARA
ENGLISH
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

8. Both the students and the teacher _____ planning to come.

Exercise 2: Error analysis


1. Either John will call Mary or Bob.
2. Not only Sue saw the mouse but also the cat.
3. Both my mother talked to the teacher and my father.
4. Either Mr. Anderson or Ms. Wiggins are going to teach our class today.
5. I enjoy not only reading novels but also magazines.
6. Oxygen is plentiful. Both air contains oxygen and water.

Exercise 3: Answer the questions, using paired conjunctions.


Part 1. Use both … and
1. You have met his father. Have you met his mother?
 Yes, I have met both his father and his mother.
2. The driver was injured in the accident. Was the passenger injured in the accident?

3. Wheat is grown in Kansas. Is corn grown in Kansas?

4. He buys used cars. Does he sell used cars?

5. You had lunch with your friends. Did you have dinner with them?

6. The city suffers from air pollution. Does it suffer from water pollution?

Part 2. Use not only … but also.


7. I know you are studying math. Are you studying chemistry too?
 Yes, I’m studying not only math but also chemistry.
8. I know his cousin is living with him, is his mother-in-law living with him too?

9. I know your country has good universities. Does the United States have good universities too?

10. I know you lost your wallet. Did you lose your keys too?

11. I know she goes to school. Does she leave a full-time job too?

12. I know he bought a coat. Did he buy a new pair of shoes too?

Part 3. Use either … or


13. Omar has your book, or Rosa has your book. Is that right?
 Yes, either Omar or Rosa has my book.
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KELAS BINTARA
ENGLISH
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

14. You’re going to give your friend a book for her birthday, or you’re going to give her a pen. Is that
right?

15. Your sister will meet you at the airport, or your brother will meet you there. Right?

16. They can go swimming, or they can play tennis. Is that right?

17. You’re going to vote for Mr. Smith, or you’re going to vote for Mr. Jones. Right?

18. You’ll go to New Orleans for your vacation, or you’ll go to Miami. Right?

Part 4. Use neither … nor


19. He doesn’t like coffee. Does he like tea?
 No, he likes neither coffee nor tea.
20. Her husband doesn’t speak English. Do her children speak English?

21. The students aren’t wide awake today. Is the teacher wide awake today?

22. They don’t have a refrigerator for their new apartment. Do they have a stove?

23. She doesn’t enjoy hunting. Does she enjoy fishing?

24. The result wasn’t good. Was the result bad?

Exercise 4: Combine the following into sentences that contain parallel structure. Use both … and; not only
… but also; either … or; neither … nor.
1. He does not have a pen. He does not have paper.
 He has neither a pen nor paper.
2. Ron enjoys horseback riding. Bob enjoys horseback riding.

3. You can have tea, or you can have coffee.

4. Arthur is not in class today. Ricardo is not in class today.

5. Arthur is absent. Ricardo is absent.

6. We can fix dinner for them here, or we can take them to a restaurant.

7. She wants to buy a Chevrolet, or she wants to buy a Toyota.

8. The leopard faces extinction. The tiger faces extinction.

9. The library doesn’t have the book I need. The bookstore doesn’t have the book I need.

10. We could fly, or we could take the train.

11. The president’s assistant will not confirm the story. The president’s assistant will not deny the story.

12. Coal is an irreplaceable natural resource. Oil is an irreplaceable natural resource.

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KELAS BINTARA
ENGLISH
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

13. Smallpox is a dangerous disease. Malaria is a dangerous disease.



14. Her roommates don’t know where she is. Her brother doesn’t know where she is.

15. According to the news report, it will snow tonight, or it will rain tonight.

Common questions

Powered by AI

Common mistakes in error analysis include mismatching grammatical forms on either side of the conjunction, such as mixing infinitives with gerunds or nouns with adjectives. Rectification involves rewriting the sentence to consistently apply a grammatical form, such as changing 'By obeying the speed limit, we can save energy, lives, and cost less’ to ‘save energy, save lives, and reduce costs’ .

Grammatical harmony through conjunctions is achieved by maintaining consistent forms across connected sentence elements, such as using 'noun + and + noun' or 'verb + but + verb.' This not only improves readability and fluidity but creates a structured rhythm in writing, enhancing both persuasive and narrative effects. Achieving this harmony supports effective communication by prioritizing coherence and minimizing reader effort to parse information .

Context dictates how parallel structures are interpreted by influencing which grammatical forms are expected in accordance with the thematic or functional premise of the sentence. For example, when describing actions, verbs should parallel each other (e.g., 'running and jumping'), whereas when listing attributes, adjectives should match (e.g., 'tall and strong'), aligning with reader expectations shaped by contextual cues .

‘Either...or’ is employed to present a choice between alternatives with a definitive positive outcome, indicating an assertion of options. Conversely, ‘neither...nor’ implies a negation of both possibilities, expressing exclusion and absence of preference, thereby shifting sentence mood from positive selection to a closed, finite state without alternatives .

‘Not only...but also’ emphasizes the dual significance and interconnection of both elements it joins, rather than the simple additive nature of single conjunctions. This pairing suggests that both actions or attributes are noteworthy and related, thus enhancing the weight and impact of what is being communicated by creating an implicit hierarchy of relevance and attention .

Parallel structure enhances sentence clarity and improves reader comprehension by creating balance and flow in sentence construction. It eliminates redundancy and non-uniformity, facilitating easier understanding by maintaining predictable patterns in the text, such as aligning nouns with nouns and verbs with verbs within a sentence .

The document suggests correcting sentences with mismatched forms by ensuring that each part of the sentence connected by coordinating or paired conjunctions uses the same grammatical form. For example, '…offers me a feeling of security, warm, and love’ should be corrected to 'security, warmth, and love' to maintain noun parity across the conjunctions .

Using incorrect parallel structure when listing items or actions results in confusion and disruption in readability, potentially leading to a misunderstanding of the intended meaning. It can make sentences appear clumsy and unrefined, weakening the writer’s credibility and effectiveness in communication, as consistency in structure is crucial for clarity .

For paired conjunctions like 'both...and,' the verb follows the rule of subject-verb agreement based on the subject nearer to the verb. If both subjects are singular, the verb is plural, but if one subject is plural, the verb becomes plural, thus deviating from singular conjunction norms where the verb would typically follow only one subject's number .

Parallel structure in coordinating conjunctions requires that the grammatical forms before and after the conjunctions maintain consistency and symmetry. This means using the same form of nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc., on both sides of the conjunction. For example, 'noun + and + noun' or 'adjective + but + adjective' ensure that the structure is parallel .

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