Detailed Explanation of Using the Correct Pair of Correlative Conjunctions 🔗
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that work together to join equal parts of a sentence, such as two words, phrases, or clauses. They help to show a connection between ideas, making sentences clearer and more interesting. In Year 6 English, it’s important to use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions, so your writing flows well and makes sense.
What Are Correlative Conjunctions? 🤔
Correlative conjunctions always come in pairs. Some common pairs you will learn in Key Stage 2 are:
- either…or
- neither…nor
- both…and
- not only…but also
- whether…or
Each pair links two ideas that have a special relationship, like choices, comparisons, or adding information.
Why Is It Important to Use the Correct Pair? ❗
Using the correct pairs is important because each pair has its own meaning. If you mix them up, your sentence might sound confusing or incorrect. For example, “either…or” is used to show a choice between two things, but if you say “either…nor” it doesn’t make sense because those words don’t match as a pair.
How to Use the Correct Pair of Correlative Conjunctions 🎯
- Match the pairs: Make sure you use the exact pairs, such as “either…or” or “neither…nor.”
- Keep balance: The words or phrases after each part of the pair should have the same grammatical form, like two nouns, two verbs, or two adjectives.
- Place the pairs correctly: The first word of the pair comes before the first idea, and the second word comes before the second idea.
Examples Suitable for Year 6 Students 📝
- Either you come with us or you stay at home.
- She likes both football and netball.
- I want not only a new bike but also a helmet.
- He will neither eat carrots nor peas.
- We don’t know whether it will be sunny or rainy tomorrow.
Tips for Remembering Correlative Conjunctions 💡
- Always remember they come in pairs.
- Read your sentence out loud to see if it sounds right.
- Check that the words you link are the same type (both nouns, both verbs, etc.).
- Practice writing sentences using different pairs to get used to them.
Using the correct pair of correlative conjunctions will make your writing clearer and more exciting. Keep practising these pairs, and soon using them will become second nature! ✍️
10 Examination-Style 1-Mark Questions on Correlative Conjunctions for Year 6 English ❓
- Choose the correct pair: _______ the cake nor the biscuits were left.
Answer: neither - Fill in the blank: You can have _______ tea _______ coffee.
Answer: either - Identify the missing word: I want to go to the park, _______ it is raining.
Answer: but - Select the right pair: _______ Tom _______ Jerry wanted to win the game.
Answer: both - Complete the sentence: I will call you _______ I arrive _______ leave.
Answer: either - Pick the correct word: She is not only smart _______ hardworking.
Answer: but - Choose the pair: You can _______ stay here _______ come with us.
Answer: either - Find the correct word: _______ the teacher nor the students knew the answer.
Answer: neither - Complete the phrase: He wants _______ to play football _______ to watch TV.
Answer: either - Select the missing word: _______ the boys _______ the girls participated in the event.
Answer: both
10 Examination-Style 2-Mark Questions on Correct Use of Correlative Conjunctions with Answers 📚
- Choose the correct pair of correlative conjunctions:
“______ you study hard, ______ you will pass the test.”
Answer: Either…or - Fill in the blanks with the correct correlative conjunctions:
“She is ______ tall ______ short to fit through the door.”
Answer: neither…nor - Select the right correlative conjunction pair for this sentence:
“You can have ______ chocolate ______ vanilla ice cream.”
Answer: either…or - Complete the sentence with the correct correlative conjunctions:
“He will go to the park ______ he finishes his homework.”
Answer: only if - Choose the right conjunctions to fill the blanks:
“I want to ______ go swimming ______ play football this afternoon.”
Answer: either…or - Fill in the missing correlative conjunctions:
“Not ______ the manager ______ the staff knew about the meeting.”
Answer: only…but also - Pick the correct pair to complete the sentence:
“She is ______ rich ______ famous; she is both.”
Answer: not only…but also - Complete the sentence with the correct correlative conjunctions:
“You can either call me ______ send me an email.”
Answer: or - Choose the correct pair for this sentence:
“It was ______ raining ______ snowing yesterday.”
Answer: neither…nor - Fill in the blanks with the right correlative conjunctions:
“We will go to the beach ______ if the weather is good.”
Answer: only if
10 Examination-Style 4-Mark Questions on Using Correct Pairs of Correlative Conjunctions with 6-Sentence Answers ✍️
Question 1
Complete the sentence using the correct pair of correlative conjunctions:
“________ you study hard, ________ you will pass the test.”
Answer:
The correct pair to use is “If” and “then.” The sentence should read, “If you study hard, then you will pass the test.” Correlative conjunctions are used to connect ideas that are related or show a choice. “If” introduces a condition, and “then” shows the result. Using the correct pair helps the sentence make sense. This shows cause and effect clearly.
Question 2
Fill in the blanks with the correct pair of correlative conjunctions:
“You can have ________ cake ________ ice cream for dessert.”
Answer:
The correct correlative conjunctions are “either” and “or.” The sentence should say, “You can have either cake or ice cream for dessert.” These conjunctions show a choice between two things. “Either” starts the choice, and “or” presents the options. This pair is useful to give someone options. It makes the sentence clear and easy to understand.
Question 3
Choose the correct correlative conjunctions:
“She is not only good at maths, ________ she is also great at science.”
Answer:
The correct pair is “not only” and “but also.” The sentence becomes, “She is not only good at maths, but also she is great at science.” This pair is used to add extra information. It shows that both things are true. This makes the sentence more interesting. It helps the writer highlight two positive points about someone.
Question 4
Complete the sentence using the correct correlative pair:
“You can go to the park ________ you finish your homework.”
Answer:
The correct pair is “only if.” The sentence reads, “You can go to the park only if you finish your homework.” This means going to the park depends on finishing the homework first. “Only if” shows a condition that must be true. This helps to make rules clear. It shows cause and effect clearly.
Question 5
Fill the gaps with the right correlative conjunctions:
“Neither my brother ________ my sister likes spinach.”
Answer:
The correct pair here is “nor.” The sentence becomes, “Neither my brother nor my sister likes spinach.” This pair is used when saying that two people or things do not do something. “Neither” begins the negative statement, and “nor” connects the second subject. It helps make a sentence negative about both subjects. It’s important to keep the sentence balanced.
Question 6
Choose the right correlative conjunctions to complete the sentence:
“We can go to the cinema ________ stay at home and watch a DVD.”
Answer:
The correct pair is “either” and “or.” The sentence is, “We can either go to the cinema or stay at home and watch a DVD.” “Either” and “or” show a choice between two options. It helps to make the sentence clear and fair. This pair is useful for giving options.
Question 7
Fill in the blanks with the correct correlative pair:
“Both the teacher ________ the students enjoyed the trip.”
Answer:
The correct pair is “and.” The sentence should be, “Both the teacher and the students enjoyed the trip.” This pair connects two things that are true at the same time. “Both” starts the sentence showing there are two subjects. “And” joins them together. This makes the sentence strong and clear. It shows two groups sharing an experience.
Question 8
Choose the correct pair of correlative conjunctions:
“________ you can come to the party, ________ you must finish your chores first.”
Answer:
The pair to use is “whether” and “or.” The sentence becomes, “Whether you can come to the party or you must finish your chores first.” This sentence is a bit unnatural because it mixes ideas. A better sentence would be, “Whether you come to the party or not, you must finish your chores first.” “Whether…or” is used to show two possibilities. It helps to explain conditions clearly.
Question 9
Complete the sentence with the correct correlative conjunctions:
“You will pass the exam ________ only if you study hard and practise regularly.”
Answer:
The correlative conjunction pair here is “if… only if.” The sentence is, “You will pass the exam if and only if you study hard and practise regularly.” This means that studying hard and practising are the only conditions for passing. This pair is used to show strict conditions. It makes the sentence strong and clear. It also sets clear rules or limits.
Question 10
Fill in the blanks with the correct correlative conjunctions:
“I want to visit ________ Paris ________ Rome during the holiday.”
Answer:
The correct pair is “either” and “or.” The complete sentence is, “I want to visit either Paris or Rome during the holiday.” This pair shows a choice between two places to visit. “Either” introduces the options, and “or” connects them. It helps to keep the sentence balanced and clear. It tells the reader there are two possible plans.
These questions and answers help Year 6 students practise using the correct pairs of correlative conjunctions to write clear and well-structured sentences.
10 Examination-Style 6-Mark Questions with 10-Sentence Answers on Using the Correct Pair of Correlative Conjunctions ✨
Question 1
Choose the correct pair of correlative conjunctions to complete this sentence:
“I will either go to the park _____ stay at home and read a book.”
Explain your choice in ten sentences.
Model Answer:
The correct pair of correlative conjunctions here is “or.” The sentence becomes, “I will either go to the park or stay at home and read a book.” Correlative conjunctions always come in pairs and connect ideas that are equal in importance. “Either…or” is used to present two choices or possibilities. It shows that you will do one thing or the other, but not both. Saying “either…and” would be incorrect because “and” shows addition, not choice. In this sentence, I am deciding between two plans for my day. The conjunction “either” starts the first choice, and “or” connects it to the second. Using the correct pair makes the sentence clear and easy to understand. This is why “either…or” is the proper choice here. Correlative conjunctions help join ideas smoothly in our writing.
Question 2
Fill in the blanks with the correct correlative conjunctions:
“She _____ wanted to dance _____ to sing at the party.”
Explain your answer in ten sentences.
Model Answer:
The correct correlative conjunctions to fill in the blanks are “either” and “or.” The sentence is “She either wanted to dance or to sing at the party.” Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to link two equal ideas. “Either” introduces the first choice, and “or” offers the alternative. This pair shows that she had two possible options but only one. Using “either…or” tells the reader there is a choice between two activities. If we used “both…and,” it would mean she wanted to do both things, which changes the meaning. Using “neither…nor” would mean she didn’t want to do either, which is not correct here. Using the right pair helps make the sentence clear and keeps the meaning correct. Therefore, “either…or” fits perfectly in this sentence. This is an important grammar skill in Year 6 English.
Question 3
Choose the correct correlative conjunctions to complete the sentence:
“He was not _____ tall _____ short; he was just the right height.”
Explain your choice in ten sentences.
Model Answer:
The correct correlative conjunctions for this sentence are “neither” and “nor.” The sentence becomes, “He was not neither tall nor short; he was just the right height.” Actually, when using “neither…nor,” we do not add “not” before “neither.” The proper sentence is “He was neither tall nor short; he was just the right height.” “Neither…nor” is used to show that two things are not true. It combines two negatives into one. This pair helps to say something is not one thing and also not the other. If we used “either…or,” it would suggest a choice, but here, we say it is not one or the other. It’s important to understand that “neither…nor” works together to connect the ideas. This pair is common in English for negative statements. Using them correctly helps make the meaning clear. It is good to practice this in Year 6 English.
Question 4
Complete and explain:
“You can _____ have ice cream _____ cake for dessert, but not both.”
Write a ten-sentence explanation.
Model Answer:
The correct correlative conjunctions here are “either” and “or.” The sentence reads, “You can either have ice cream or cake for dessert, but not both.” “Either…or” is used to show a choice between two things. It means you pick one option and not the other. This pair clearly separates two possibilities. It’s important because desserts are different, and you must choose only one. Using “either…or” helps avoid confusion in the sentence. If we used “neither…nor,” it would mean you don’t want any dessert, which is not true here. “Both…and” would mean you can have both ice cream and cake, but the sentence says “not both.” Correct use of these correlative conjunctions improves sentence clarity. That’s why “either…or” is the best choice.
Question 5
Find the mistake and correct:
“She speaks not only English or French.”
Explain the correction in ten sentences.
Model Answer:
The sentence has an incorrect pair of correlative conjunctions. It says, “She speaks not only English or French,” but the correct pair is “not only…but also.” The sentence should be, “She speaks not only English but also French.” “Not only…but also” is used to show that two things are true and to add extra information. “Or” does not match with “not only,” so it makes the sentence wrong. The phrase “not only” introduces the first fact, and “but also” adds another fact. This pair shows that she speaks both languages, not just one. Using the right pair of correlative conjunctions helps the sentence to sound natural. It also makes the meaning clear and complete. In Year 6, it’s important to learn these pairs to write better. So, “not only…but also” is correct here.
Question 6
Complete and explain:
“You can choose _____ to play football _____ to watch the game.”
Write a clear explanation in ten sentences.
Model Answer:
The correct correlative conjunctions here are “either” and “or.” The sentence is “You can choose either to play football or to watch the game.” “Either…or” shows that there are two options, and you must select one. It makes it clear that you cannot do both at the same time. “Either” introduces the first choice, and “or” connects it to the second. This pair helps the reader understand the meaning of choice between two things. If we used “both…and,” it would mean you do both activities together. That would change the sentence meaning. Using “neither…nor” would mean you don’t do any of the activities, which is wrong here. Good use of correlative conjunctions is important for clear writing. Year 6 students need to practise this to improve their English.
Question 7
Explain the use of “both…and” in this sentence:
“He is both kind _____ generous.”
Complete the sentence and explain in ten sentences.
Model Answer:
The correct words to complete the sentence are “both” and “and.” It becomes, “He is both kind and generous.” The pair “both…and” is used to join two positive qualities or things. It shows that both ideas are true at the same time. The sentence means he has two good traits, kindness and generosity. Using “both…and” emphasises that these qualities come together. It is a way to add information equally. We do not use “either…or” here because it’s not a choice. We don’t use “neither…nor” because the sentence is positive. Correct use of these conjunctions helps to give clear information about someone. Year 6 students often use “both…and” to describe people or things effectively.
Question 8
Choose the right pair:
“You will _____ fail _____ succeed, depending on how hard you try.”
Explain your choice in ten clear sentences.
Model Answer:
The correct correlative conjunctions are “either” and “or.” The sentence becomes, “You will either fail or succeed, depending on how hard you try.” “Either…or” is used to show a choice between two possible results. It means only one of the two can happen. This pair introduces the idea of two different outcomes. If you try hard, you might succeed. If you don’t, you might fail. Using “either…or” here explains the situation clearly. “Both…and” would be wrong because you can’t fail and succeed at the same time. “Neither…nor” would mean you do not fail or succeed, which doesn’t make sense here. Using the right correlative conjunctions helps readers understand your meaning. Year 6 students should practise this for good writing.
Question 9
Correct this sentence and explain:
“He will go neither to the shop or to the library.”
Give a ten-sentence explanation.
Model Answer:
The sentence is incorrect because it mixes correlative pairs. It says, “He will go neither to the shop or to the library,” but the correct form is “He will go neither to the shop nor to the library.” “Neither…nor” is the right pair that works together to show two negative options. Using “or” after “neither” is wrong. This pair means he will go to none of these places. It shows the two options are both not happening. “Neither” starts the negative idea and “nor” continues it. Using the correct conjunctions keeps the sentence clear and correct. This is an important skill in Year 6 English. Always match the pairs correctly to avoid mistakes.
Question 10
Explain why this sentence is correct or not:
“He can have both chocolate and vanilla ice cream.”
Write a clear explanation in ten sentences.
Model Answer:
This sentence is correct. It uses the correlative conjunction pair “both…and.” This pair shows that two things happen together. “Both” introduces the first thing, chocolate ice cream. “And” adds the second thing, vanilla ice cream. Saying “both chocolate and vanilla ice cream” means he can have these two flavours at the same time. It is a positive statement. Using “both…and” helps make the meaning clear and adds emphasis. It is different from “either…or,” which shows a choice between two things. This sentence means he does not have to choose just one flavour. Year 6 students should know when to use “both…and” to show two things together.
