We use paired conjunctions to connect two ideas in a sentence. Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “Isn’t that what regular conjunctions (and, nor, or, etc.) do?” And the answer is, “Yes!” Coordinating conjunctions do provide a similar service, but we choose to use paired conjunctions for emphasis. Let’s look at how paired conjunctions can emphasize two points in a sentence.

 

We’ll start by looking at the paired conjunctions both … and … and not only … but also … together because these two pairs communicate the same meaning. They basically mean “and.” They connect two pieces of information that are just additional. Look at the sentence below:

 

Ø Original: Cardiovascular exercise is good for the heart and fun.

In this sentence we learn two things about cardiovascular exercise: it is good for your heart and it is fun. These two ideas are appropriately connected in the sentence with the word and. However, we can express the same sentence with paired conjunctions:

 

Ø Both … and … : Cardiovascular exercise is both good for the heart and fun.

Ø Not only … but also … : Cardiovascular exercise is not only good for the heart but also fun.

 

The only difference in meaning between these two sentences and our original sentence is the emphasis that the two ideas about cardiovascular exercise receive. The paired conjunctions stress that there are two things you need to know about cardiovascular exercise, not just one thing. As a result, the use of these structures is a choice, and the writer or speaker gets to make that choice.

 

Let’s look at a few more examples of both … and … and not only … but also … to make sure we really understand their use:

 

Ø Aerobic exercise is any exercise that both uses large muscle groups and lasts for a long time.

Ø Regular aerobic exercise makes not only your heart but also your lungs function more efficiently.

Ø After doing regular aerobic exercise for several weeks, you will be able to exercise both longer and more vigorously.

Ø A good exercise routine requires not only strength training but also an aerobic workout.

 

Either/o.r Now let’s look at how we use either … or … . As you might imagine, either … or … is similar in meaning to the conjunction or. What meaning does “or” communicate? If you said, “Choice,” then you’re right! Or and either … or … both communicate a choice between options or possibilities. Let’s see how this idea of options can be expressed using the two different conjunctions.

 

Read the following dialogue between a patient and his doctor:

Ø Patient: My knees hurt when I run. What other kinds of exercises should I do to decrease the impact of the exercise on my knees?

Ø Doctor: You could try swimmingor bicycle riding. Both of these exercises will be gentler on your knees.

 

Now, our doctor could have chosen to say:

Ø Doctor: You could try either swimming or bicycle riding. Both of these exercises will be gentler on your knees.

 

By choosing to use either … or …, the doctor is trying to emphasize or stress to her patient that he has options. Again, we see that the use of the paired conjunction is a choice made by the speaker or writer, and that the choice is guided by the desire to emphasize the two things being connected. Let’s look at a couple of more examples of either … or … to make sure we really understand its use:

 

Ø If you are hungry after working out, try eating either a granola bar ora fruit bar .

Ø Don’t completely abandon your commitment to exercise if either bad weather or illness become brief obstacles.

 

Neither/nor. While neither … nor … looks similar to either … or …, it is actually closer in meaning to both … and … because it connects additional information. It tells you two things about a topic. Most importantly, however, neither … nor … must be used to connect two negative ideas. Look at the following example:

 

Ø When attending a yoga class, you need neither your cigarettes noryour cell phone.

 

According to this sentence, there are two things that you do NOT need in a yoga class: your cigarettes and your cell phone. Of course, we could communicate the same ideas with the following sentence:

 

Ø When attending a yoga class, you don’t need your cigarettes and your cell phone.

 

Notice that both of these sentences are negative. In the first sentence neither … nor … carries the negative meaning; however, in our second example, the verb carries the negation (don’t). Since double negatives are not acceptable in standard academic English, it would be wrong to make the verb negative in the first sentence: ý Incorrect: When attending a yoga class, you don’t need neither your cigarettes nor your cell phone. Let’s look at a couple of more examples of neither … nor … to make sure we really understand its use:

 

Ø Neither watching TV nor playing video games will help you lose weight.

Ø If you are feeling sick, you should neither exercise with a fever norintensify your workout.