MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH

Before doing this activity you may need to read the text you will find at the end


  Fill in the Gaps
Correlative Connectors
Focus Grammar
Description Learn the different correlative connectors and how to use them in a balanced construction.
Instructions Write the suitable word/s inside the gaps to complete the sentence. Use the -TAB- key on your computer keyboard to move from one box to the next.
 
Gapped text
You can take a taxi OR You can walk home = You can ______________________________________________________________.
You can come on Monday OR You can come on Thursday = You can come ______________________________________________________________.
It isn't blue AND It isn't red = It isn't ____________________________________.
She wants to see you AND She wants to see me = She wants to see us, ________________ and me.
I work on weekdays AND I work on Saturdays (formal) = I work ____________________________________________________________________________________.
Leave this house OR I will call the police = __________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Come with me OR Go in Kevin's car = You can ________________________________________________________________________________.
This is cheap AND This is good (formal) = This is ________________________________________________________.
She plays the piano AND She plays the guitar = She can play __________________________________________________________.
That's not for you AND That's not for me = That's ____________________________________________________.
I need men AND I need women = For my film __________________________________________________.
I speak French AND I speak English = I speak ______________________________________________.
It isn't blue AND It isn't red = It's ________________________________________.
It's this OR It's that = You have to choose, it's ______________________________________.
China is in Asia AND India is in Asia (formal) = Not __________________________________________________ are in Asia.
I've got red roses AND I've got yellow roses = I've got many roses, ______________________________________.
I don't smoke AND I don't drink = I ______________________________________________.
James wasn't at home AND Virginia wasn't at home (use "was") = ____________________________________________________ was at home.
It's cheap AND It's beautiful = It's ________________________________________________.
She plays the piano AND She sings = She ____________________________________________________________.
Total number of items: 20
This is an activity from Multimedia-English www.multimedia-english.com
 

Correlative connectors consist of two coupled connectors, one in each sentence:
 
- BOTH . . . AND  (= and)    both are true  [ + + ]
      She both plays the piano and sings  
      she plays both the piano and the guitar 
 
- NEITHER . . . NOR    both are untrue  [ - - ]     /naɪðə ... nɔ:/ (American: /ni:ðər ,,, nɔ:r/)
      Neither James nor Virginia was at home  (also: were)
      I neither smoke nor drink
 
- EITHER . . . OR  (= or)    only one can be true  [ + - ] , [ - + ]     /aɪðə ... ɔ:/ (American: /i:ðər ,,, ɔ:r/) 
      You can either come with me or walk home
      either you leave this house or I'll call the police
 
- NOT ONLY . . . BUT ALSO   both are true  [  + +  ]  (formal)
      She not only sings like an angel, but also dances like a nymph

 

BALANCE
 
These correlative constructions must be "balanced", that is, the structure of each part of the sentence must be identical. Unbalanced constructions are not grammatically wrong, but they are considered to be very clumsy.
 
- She both plays the piano and the guitar

This sentence is unbalanced (and so, not appropriate for a composition) because the structure is: (both + verb)  (and + object)
So, to make it balanced we have two possibilities:
 
- She both plays the piano and plays the guitar  (both + verb / and + verb)
- She plays both the piano and the guitar  (both + noun / and + noun)
 
The second sentence is much better because repetitions (plays....plays) are very clumsy and not elegant.