CONTENTS

16-1 Parallel structure

16-2 Paired conjunctions: both ...and; not only.. .but also; either.. .or; neither.. . nor
16-3 Combining independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions

One use of a conjunction is to connect words or phrases that have the same grammatical hnction in a sentence.
This use of conjunctions is called "parallel structure." The conjunctions used in this pattern are and, but, or,
nor. These words are called "coordinating conjunctions."

(a) Steve and his fiiend are coming to dinner. In (a): noun + and + noun
(b) Susan raised her hand and snapped her fingers. In (b):verb + and + verb
(c) He is waving his arms and (is) shouting at us. In (c): verb + and + verb (The second auxiliary may
be omitted if it is the same as the first auxiliary.)
(d) These shoes are old but comjortable. In (d): adjective + but + adjective
(e) He wants to watch T V or (to) listen to some music. In (e): infinitive + or + infinitive (The second to is
usually omitted.)

(f) Steve, Joe, and Alice are coming to dinner. A parallel structure may contain more than two parts.
(g) Susan raised her hand, snapped her fingers, and In a series, COmmas are used to separate each unit.
asked a question. The final comma that precedes the conjunction is
(h) The colors in that fabric are red, gold, black, and optional; also correct: Steve, Joe and Alice are coming to
green. dinner.

(i) INCORRECT: Sme, and Joe are coming to dinner. Note: No commas are used if there are only two parts
to a parallel structure.

EXERCISE 1. Parallel structure. (Chart 16-1)

Directions: 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 and generous. c\Ajective + and + a A i e & v e
2. He received a pocket calculator and a wool h o w + and + h o w
sweater for his birthday.
 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 + and +
under Dr. Liu.

6. In my spare time, I enjoy reading novels or + or +

watching television.

7. He will leave at eight and arrive at nine. + and +

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

EXERCISE 2. Parallel structure. (Chart 16-1)

Directions: 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.
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 NewYork, we ate at
marvelous restaurants. While we were in
NewYork, 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. 1 have not met his father.
15. Jake would like to live in Puerto Rico. He would not like to live in Iceland.

*This form of parallel structure, in which unnecessary words are omitted but are understood, is called "ellipsis."
**Sometimes a comma precedes but not: I like coffee, but not tea.

Coordinating Conjunctions 349

 EXERCISE 3. Parallel structure. (Chart 16-1)
Directions: In each group, complete the unfinished sentence. Then combine the sentences
into one concise sentence that contains parallel structure. Punctuate carefully.

1. The country lane was narrow.

The country lane was steep.
The country lane was WIAAAY.
T h e cohhtvy l a b e w a s ~avvow!ssteep, a h A wkAAy.

2. I like to become acquainted with the people of other countries.

I like to become acquainted with the customs of other countries.
I like to become acquainted with of other countries.

3. I dislike living in a city because of the air pollution.

I dislike living in a city because of the crime.
I dislike living in a city because of

4. We discussed some of the social problems of the United States.

We discussed some of the political problems of the United States.
We discussed some of the problems of the United States.

5. Hawaii has
Hawaii has many interesting tropical trees.
Hawaii has many interesting tropical flowers.
Hawaii has beautiful beaches.

6 . Mary Hart would make a good president because she

Mary Hart would make a good president because she works effectively with others.
Mary Hart would make a good president because she has a reputation for integrity.
Mary Hart would make a good president because she has a reputation for independent
thinking.

350 CHAPTER 16
EXERCISE 4. Parallel structure. (Chart 16-1)
Directions: With your own words, complete each sentence, using parallel structure.
1. Judge Holmes served the people of this country with impartiality, ability, and

2. Ms. Polanski has proven herself to be a sincere, hardworking, and

supervisor.

3. The professor walked through the door and

4. I was listening to music and when I heard a

knock at the door.

5. I get up at seven every morning, eat a light breakfast, and

6. and attending concerts in the park are two

of the things my wife and I like to do on summer weekends.

7. Our whole family enjoys camping. We especially enjoy fishing in mountain streams
and

8. Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, understanding of
those who are wrong, and
Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these.

EXERCISE 5. Error analysis: parallel structure. (Chart 16-1)

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.

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.

Coordinating Conjunctions 351

 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.

EXERCISE 6. Error analysis: parallel structure. (Chart 16-1)

Directions: Correct the errors.
What do people in your country think of bats? Are they mean and scary creatures, or

are they symbols of happiness and lucky?

In Western countries, many people have an unreasoned fear of bats. According to

scientist Dr. Sharon Horowitz, bats are beneficial mammals and harmless. "When I was a

child, I believed that a bat would attack me and tangled itself in my hair. Now I know

better," said Dr. Horowitz.

Contrary to popular Western myths, bats do not attack humans and not blind.

Although a few bats may be infected, they are not major carriers of rabies or carry other

dread diseases. Bats help natural plant life by pollinating plants, spreading seeds, and they

eat insects. If you get rid of bats that eat overripe fruit, then fruit flies can flourish and

destroying the fruit industry.

According to Dr. Horowitz, bats make loving pets, and

they are trainable, and are gentle pets. Not many people,

however, are known to have bats as pets, and bats

themselves prefer to avoid people.

352 CHAPTER 16
(a) Both my mother and my sister are here. Two subjects connected by both ... and take a plural
verb, as in (a).
(b) Not only my mother but also my sister is here. When two subjects are connected by not only.. but .
(c) Not only my sister but also my parents are here. . .
also, either.. or, or neither.. nor, the subject
(d) Neither my mother nor my sister is here. that is closer to the verb determines whether the verb
(e) Neither my sister nor my parents are here. is singular or plural.
- -

(f) The research project will take both time and money. Notice the parallel structure in the examples. The
(g) Yesterday it not only rained but (also) snowed. same grammatical form should follow each part of
(h) I'll take either chemistry or physics next quarter. the paired conjunctions.*
(i) That book is neither interesting nor accurate. In (f): both + noun + and + noun
In (g): not only + verb + but also + verb
In (h): either + noun + or + noun
In ( i ) : neither + adjective + nor + adjeczive
*Paired conjunctions are also called "correlative conjunctions."

EXERCISE 7. Paired conjunctions. (Chart 16-2)

Directions: Add is or are to each sentence.
1. Both the teacher and the student owe 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.

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

EXERCISE 8. Error analysis: paired conjunctions. (Chart 16-2)

Directions: What is wrong with these sentences?
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.

Coordinating Conjunctions 353

 EXERCISE 9. Paired conjunclions. (Chart 16-2)
Directions: Answer the questions, using paired conjunctions. Work in pairs, in groups, or as
a class.
PART I. 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 11. Use not o n l y . . but abo.
7 . I know you are studying math. Are you studying chemistry too?
-r 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?
1 1 . I know she goes to school. Does she have a full-time job too?
12. I know he bought a coat. Did he buy a new pair of shoes too?

PART 1x1. Use either .. .or.

13. Omar has your book, or Rosa has your book. Is that right?
-+Yes, either Omar or Rosa has my book.
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 Iv. u s e neither.. nor.
19. He doesn't like coffee. Does he like tea?
-+ No, he likes neither cofSee 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?

354 CHAPTER 16
 EXERCISE 10. Paired conjunctions. (Chart 16-2)
Directions: 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. &cardo 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 aToyota.
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.
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.

(a) It was raining hard. There was a strong wind. Example (a) contains two independent clauses (i.e., two
(b) INCORRECT PUNCTUATION: complete sentences). Notice the punctuation. A
It was raining hard, there was a strong wind. period,* NOT A COMMA, is used to separate two
independent clauses. The punctuation in (b) is not
correct; the error in (b) is called "a run-on sentence."

(c) It was raining hard, and there was a strong wind. A conjunction may be used to connect two independent
(d) It was raining hard and there was a strong wind. clauses. PUNCTUATION:
(e) It was raining hard. And there was a strong wind. Usually a comma immediately precedes the
conjunction, as in (c) .
In short sentences, the comma is sometimes omitted, as
in (d).
In informal writing, a conjunction sometimes begins a
sentence, as in (e).
-

( f ) He was tired, so he went to bed. In addition to and, but, or, and nor, other
(g) The child hid behind his mother's skirt, for he conjunctions are used to connect two independent
was afraid of the dog. clauses: so (meaning "therefore, as a result")
(h) She did not study, yet she passed the exam. for (meaning "because")
yet (meaning "but, nevertheless")
A comma almost always precedes so, for, and yet when
they are used as coordinating conjunctions.**

* In British English, a period is called "a full stop."

** So,for, and yet have other meanings in other structures: e.g., He is nol so tall as his brother. (so = as) We waited for
the bus. lfor = a preposition) She hasn't am'ved yet. (yet = an adverb meaning "up to this time")

Coordinating Conjunctions 355

 EXERCISE 1 1. Combining independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions.
(Chart 16-3)
Directions: Punctuate the sentences by adding commas or periods. Do not add any words.
Capitalize where necessary.
1. The boys walked the girls ran. -> The boys walked. The girls ran.
2. The teacher lectured the students took notes.

3. The teacher lectured and the students took notes.

4. Elena came to the meeting but Pedro stayed home.

5. Elena came to the meeting her brother stayed home.

6. Her academic record was outstanding yet she was not accepted by the university.

7. I have not finished writing my term paper yet I will not be finished until sometime
next week.

8. We had to go to the grocery store for some milk and bread.

9. We had to go to the grocery store for there was nothing in the house to fur for dinner.

10. Kostas didn't have enough money to buy an airplane ticket so he couldn't fly home for
the holiday.

EXERCISE 12. Combining independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions.

(Chart 16-3)
Directions: Punctuate the sentences by adding commas or periods. Do not add any words.
Capitalize where necessary.

1. A thermometer is used to measure temperature a barometer measures air pressure.

2. Daniel made many promises but he had no intention of keeping them.

3. I always enjoyed mathematics in high school so I decided to major in it in college.

4. Anna is in serious legal trouble for she had no car insurance at the time of the accident.

5. Last night Martha had to study for a test so she went to the library.

, 6. The ancient Egyptians had good dentists archaeologists have

found mummies that had gold fillings in their teeth.

7. Both John and I had many errands to do yesterday

John had to go to the post offlce and the bookstore
I had to go to the post office the travel agency and
the bank.

356 CHAPTER 16
 8. I did not like the leading actor yet the movie was quite good on the whole.

9. The team of researchers has not finished compiling the statistics yet their work will not
be made public until later.

10. We have nothing to fear for our country is strong and united.

11. He slapped his desk in disgust he had failed another examination and had ruined his
chances for a passing grade in the course.

12. I struggled to keep my head above water I tried to yell for help but no sound came
from my mouth.

13. The earthquake was devastating tall buildings crumbled and fell to the earth.

14. It was a wonderful picnic the children waded in the stream collected rocks and insects
and flew kites the teenagers played an enthusiastic game of baseball the adults busied
themselves preparing the food supervising the children and playing a game or two of
volleyball.

15. Some people collect butterflies for a-hobbythese collectors capture them with a net
and put them in a jar that has poison in it the dead butterflies are then mounted on a
board.

16. Caterpillars eat plants and cause damage to some crops

but adult butterflies feed principally on nectar from
flowers and do not cause any harm.

17. The butterfly is a marvel it begins as an ugly

caterpillar and turns into a work of art.

18. The sight of a butterfly floating from flower to

flower on a warm sunny day brightens anyone's
heart a butterfly is a charming and gentle creature.

19. When cold weather comes some butterflies travel great distances to reach tropical
climates.*

20. Butterflies are admired throughout the world because they are beautiful they can be
found on every continent except Antarctica.*

*See Chart 5-1, p. 70, for ways to punctuate sentences that contain adverb clauses.

Coordinating Conjunctions 357

 EXERCISE 13. Writing. (Chapter 16)
Directions:Write two descriptive paragraphs on one of the topics below. The first
paragraph should be a draft, and the second should be a "tightened" revision of the first.
Look for places where two or three sentences can be combined into one by using parallel
structure. Pay special attention to punctuation, and be sure all of your commas and
periods are used correctly.
Topics:
1. Give a physical description of your place of residence (apartment, dorm room, etc.)
2. Describe the characteristics and activities of a successful student.
3. Give your reader directions for making a particular food dish.

Example:
FIRST DRAFT
To make spaghetti sauce, you will need several ingredients. First, you will need
some ground beef. Probably about one pound of ground beef will be sufficient.
You should also have an onion, If the onions are small, you should use two. Also, find
a green pepper and put it in the sauce. Of course, you will also need some tomato
sauce or tomatoes.

REVISION
To make spaghetti sauce you will need one pound of ground beef, one large or
two small onions, a green pepper, and some tomato sauce or tomatoes.

358 CHAPTER 16