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English has a number of conjunction pairs like “either … or …”, but lacks some of the ones found in other languages
THE MAIN DOUBLE CONJUNCTIONS IN ENGLISH
Conjunctions are one of various means by which two English verbs can be placed in the same sentence (see 30. When to Write a Full Stop). They express a meaning relation (cause, result, addition etc.) between the statements containing the linked verbs (see 174. Eight Things to Know about Conjunctions). They can always be positioned between the two statements, and in many cases they can alternatively go before (see 25. Conjunction Positioning).
Most conjunctions are single words, but a surprising number comprise two or more (see 230. Multi-Word Conjunctions). Here, I wish to examine a particular kind of multi-word conjunction: where the component words are divided between two statements in the same sentence. Technically they are often called “correlatives”; I call them double conjunctions. A familiar example is either… or… :
(a) EITHER the sun is sending out more heat OR the earth is losing less.
In many cases, conjunctions like this can drop one of the verbs because it is repetitive (see 36. Words Left Out to Avoid Repetition), leaving a sentence with a list (see 54. Sentence Lists 1: Incidental):
(b) EITHER dollars (will be accepted) OR pounds will be accepted.
The main double conjunctions that can make a list like this are:
both… and… (simple list)
not only/not just… but also/but even… (simple list)
either… or… (see 266. Indicating Alternatives)
neither… nor… (list of negative meanings)
whether… or…
as… as… (similar quality)
There are also some double conjunctions whose verbs are not usually left out, so that there is no association with listing:
if… then… (see 118. Problems with Conditional “if”)
just as… so… (see 149. Saying How Things are Similar)
so/such… that… (see 32. Expressing Consequences)
no sooner… than… (event – immediate result)
hardly/scarcely/barely… when… (event – immediate result)
An alternative to just as is as by itself with so added optionally: as… (so)… . Just as is also usable between two verbs, but without so.
The following sections discuss some problems that double conjunctions can cause, and highlight a combination that is not commonly mentioned.
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PROBLEMS OFTEN CAUSED BY DOUBLE CONJUNCTIONS
1. Combinations that are Logical but not Used in English
Some combinations have an equivalent in another language but are not normally correct in English. A common one is *although… but… . In most cases English just uses although by itself, sometimes pairing it with the connector yet or nevertheless for emphasis (see 125. Stress and Emphasis). Some languages have an equivalent of if… paired with therefore… instead of then… – again not possible in English.
It is not normal to use when with any partner word. In particular, the word then is not possible: there is an especial temptation to use it among speakers of languages with the same word for both if and when, such as Dutch (see 118. Problems with Conditional “if”). The combination where(ever)… there… is similarly rare – it was probably commoner in the past than now. Modern English again often has the first word by itself, like this:
(c) WHERE the mountains are fertile, cultivation is heavy.
If there is some repetition in the second half, there is a tendency to add also, as well or too:
(d) WHEREVER mosquitoes are found, malaria is ALSO found (…is found AS WELL/TOO).
Another unlikely combination is *since (or because)…, hence (or therefore…). Again, since or because by itself is sufficient (for the difference between them, see 61. “Since” versus “Because”).
Finally, one cannot say *or… or… . Although some other languages allow the same word just to be repeated to express the meaning of either… or… , English requires these two different words.
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2. Combinations that Cannot Begin a Sentence
Both… and… can link not just verbs but also nouns, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions. When linking two verbs, both cannot start the sentence, but is typically placed just before the first verb:
(e) Cigarettes BOTH cost a great deal AND are harmful to health.
With other kinds of link, on the other hand, both is able to start its sentence. The one where it most typically does so is that of two subject nouns:
(f) BOTH cigarettes AND cigars are harmful to health.
One other combination that behaves in the same way is neither… nor… . For more about both, see 271. Tricky Grammar Contrasts 3, #2.
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3. Combinations with Special Word Order Needs
Some of the combinations listed above – those beginning barely…, hardly…, scarcely…, no sooner…, not only… (or not just…) and so… (or such…) – sometimes need the noun and verb after their first part to be written in the special manner of direct questions, technically called “inversion”. This is where some or all of the verb goes before the noun, like this:
(g) Not only DOES cycling IMPROVE fitness, but it can even be faster than driving (not *…cycling improves…).
(h) So hard MUST athletes TRAIN that many give up.
It is placing not only… etc. at the start of the sentence that makes inversion necessary (see 307. Word Order Variations, #3). There is a free choice concerning the position of so…: either first with inversion or later without. However, the positions of not only and no sooner depend on whether or not the two linked verbs – improve and can be in (g) – are the same, and also whether or not their subjects are the same. The possibilities are:
DIFFERENT VERBS, DIFFERENT SUBJECTS
Not only and no sooner must start, followed by inversion.
DIFFERENT VERBS, SAME SUBJECTS
Both expressions may either start (with inversion) or not start (without it). Sentence (g) is of this kind: it could equally well begin Cycling not only improves….
SAME VERBS, DIFFERENT SUBJECTS
Not only must start (without inversion, e.g. Not only cycling improves fitness, but also walking); no sooner may either start (with inversion) or not start (without it).
For more about not only, see 251. The Grammar of “Only”.
Note that inversion is not possible with neither… nor…, even when neither starts the sentence. It is only neither without a following nor that necessitates inversion1.
Another aspect of word order is involved when phrases with the same preposition are listed by means of a double conjunction. The preposition usually needs to be mentioned only once, preferably before the first part of the conjunction:
(i) Success is possible through EITHER hard work OR basic ability.
Here through is clearly understood to combine with both of the listed nouns. It could also be placed after either. The same flexibility is possessed by both, not only and neither, but it does not apply to whether. This word must go before a preposition unless the preposition is part of a “prepositional” verb like DEPEND ON (see 44. Troublesome Prepositional Verbs). Thus, in (j) we would have to say whether through, not *through whether.
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4. Variable Meanings of “whether/if … or …”
This combination – unusual in that its associated verbs cannot be the main ones in a sentence – has at least three different uses: in indirect questions, as a kind of opposite of if, and as a substitute for either … or … . For a detailed examination of these uses, see 99. Meanings of “whether … or …” .
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AN ADDITIONAL DOUBLE CONJUNCTION
One combination is not commonly mentioned in grammar books: a negative equivalent of not only… but also… . Before looking at it, there is a need to analyse exactly what not only… but also… means. Consider again sentence (e):
(e) BOTH cigarettes AND cigars are harmful to health.
This statement is equally about cigarettes and cigars, saying something about each that the reader is assumed not to know already. The presence of both also gives an early indication that a list of two items is being given (see 55. Sentence Lists 2).
However, if we replaced both… and… with not only (or not just … but also…, the sentence would be primarily about cigars. It would mean “I know you know that cigarettes are harmful, but I am telling you that cigars are too”. In other words, it would be suggesting that the part after not only was already familiar to the reader. This message is present with not just… even without but also… (see 228. Exotic Grammar Structures 5, #2). Mentioning familiar ideas is not at all unusual in language: for more examples, see 156. Mentioning What the Reader Knows Already.
The negative equivalent of both… and… is widely acknowledged to be neither… nor… . But what is the negative of of not only… but also… ? The possibility I wish to highlight is not… any more than…:
(k) Governments do NOT often cut taxes, ANY MORE THAN they help the poor.
In this list of things that governments fail to do, the one assumed to be familiar to the reader is the second one, after any more than. We cannot usually put such familiar information first. Note also that other negative words than not are possible in the first half (hardly, rarely, scarcely, never, few, no, nobody, nothing etc.). In (k), for example, we could replace do not often with rarely.
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1Although neither combined with nor cannot be followed by inversion, nor after neither sometimes needs it: Some people NEITHER want to eat healthily NOR will they take more exercise. The subject after nor in such cases is typically a pronoun (they), and can also be left out.
guinlist 
Thank you for your helpful reply.I am really very thankful to you as you explained the problem.Sir,I have a confusion belonging to infinitive and gerund using at the start of the sentence.What is the paraphrase or meaning of “Using a pronoun in the sentence”. Or “To use a pronoun in the sentence”. The main reason for confusion is that “to +verb”is also used for purposes at the start of the sentence.One important thing is what the meaning of infinitive is when it is used after “Be” verb as in ” The fact is to use a word like noun”.You have explained about using gerund after “Be” verb within one of the post in the blog,but not about infinitive after “Be” verb.One more question is that is any verb can be used as gerund instead of infinitive with to at the starting position of any sentence.Would you please describe it.Thank you.
Hi and thanks for your question. It actually involves quite a large area of grammar so is not easily explained in a note like this. An important point to appreciate is that infinitive verbs at the start of a sentence can act like either a noun, performing the role of subject (e.g. “TO ERR is human”), or an adverb, performing the role of adverbial (e.g. “TO CONTINUE, click here”). Only the second of these expresses purpose. The first is an alternative to the use of the gerund (“ERRING”). I am not sure when the infinitive is preferable to a gerund in this use, but I have suggested in the post 103. Sentences Starting with “It” that it often seems to sound a bit old-fashioned.
The use of infinitives after BE is the topic of a post that I plan to write in the future.
Sir,I appreciate your dedication to this blog that helps a number of people who have a little confusion in many different topics describing by you.Sir,I have a confusion in that when “that” is a conjunction or when a relative pronoun.For example,I say that I must go there.In this sentence,”that” is conjunction or relative pronoun.If not,please exemplify the other situation.Thank you very much.
Thanks for asking this. That is the kind of word that is the focus of the post 3. Multi-Use Words. It confuses others too, as can be seen from one of the comments on the Home page. One useful guideline is that the relative pronoun “that” can always be replaced by “who” or “which” or “whom”. Its other characteristics are the need for a noun or pronoun just before it (the conjunction use may also have one of these just before, but it can exist without them too); and the need to act like a noun in a sentence, i.e. as the subject, object or complement of a verb. In your example sentence that is a conjunction (note the presence of the verb say before it rather than a noun). It is a relative pronoun in The words THAT were spoken were untrue.