CLASSROOM TALK

Classroom Talk
Issue 1
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Lenguaje de la Clase
Número 1
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Paired Conjunctions

Copulative linkers are those which connect something to what have been already mentioned. We know one of these, the best-known and used, and. Now, let's see four more copulative correlative conjunctions:  both...and (tanto... como), not only... but also (no sólo... sino también),  not only... but... as well (no sólo... sino... también), and no sooner...than (apenas... cuando).

Both... and
Both John and Anna speak English.
Many politicians desire both money and power.

Not only... but also
Not only is Sally disappointed at her brother but also angry at his remarks.
Mary plays not only the guitar but also the violin. 


Not only... but... as well 
She is not only beautiful but very intelligent as well.
Mary and Bill not only argued, but shouted at each other as well. 


No sooner... than
I had no sooner got into the bathtub than the telephone rang.
No sooner had we arrived in the USA than the police asked for our passports.

Notice that in the second and the fourth groups, if not only and no sooner come to the beginning of the sentence we must carry out a verb-subject inversion, or use the auxiliary verb in any instance. In the case of no sooner it usually accompanies a past perfect, but we could also use a past simple. Other examples are:
Not only does Peter speak Chinese but also Japanese.
No sooner had I bought the car than it broke down.
No sooner did I buy the car than it broke down.


On the other hand, disjunctive conjunctions, separate or differentiate two terms. In English, some of them are or (o), otherwise (o si no, de otro modo), or else (de lo contrario) and correlations like either ... or (o bien... o, ni... ni), neither ... nor (ni... ni), whether ... or (si... o). You know or, so let's see the others.

Otherwise 
You'll have to hurry up, otherwise you'll be late.
Leave right now, otherwise you'll be caught.

Or else 
We have to hurry up, or else we'll miss our bus.
You should pay the rent of the flat, or else you'll be evicted. 



Either... or 
Either you shut your mouth and listen or you leave the class.
John hasn't got either a cat or a dog.


Neither... nor
Jack neither wrote nor phoned.
John has got neither a cat nor a dog.
Neither John nor Jack has got a dog.


Whether... or
We must decide whether to go there today or tomorrow.
Mary wondered whether to travel or to stay and save the money.


Note that when we use neither... or as the subject of the sentence, if the second subject is singular the verb is singular, however, if it is plural the verb is plural:

Neither my father nor my mother is English.

Neither my father nor his friends are English.


With both...and always put the verb in the plural:
Both my father and my mother are Spanish.  
Both my father and his friends are Spanish.


Neither... nor and either... or can be equivalent  whenever they function as the object of the sentence, but remember that neither...nor has an affirmative verb whereas with either... or the verb is negative.
We are neither English nor Scottish.
We aren't either English or Scottish.



Los conectores copulativos son aquellos que unen algo a lo ya mencionado. Ya conocemos uno de ellos, el más conocido y utilizado, and (y). Ahora vamos a ver cuatro correlaciones copulativas: both...and, not only... but also,  not only... but... as well, y no sooner...than.


Both... and (tanto... como)
Both John and Anna speak English.
(Tanto John como  Ana hablan inglés) 
Many politicians desire both money and power.
(Muchos políticos desean tanto el dinero como el poder)


Not only... but also (no sólo... sino también)
Not only is Sally disappointed at her brother but also angry at his remarks.
(Sally no sólo está decepcionada con su hermano sino también enfadada por sus comentarios)
Mary plays not only the guitar but also the violin. 
(Mary no sólo toca la guitarra sino también el violín)

Not only... but... as well (no sólo... sino... también)
She is not only beautiful but very intelligent as well.
(Ella no solo es hermosa sino que es muy inteligente también)
Mary and Bill not only argued, but shouted at each other as well. 
(Mary y Bill no solo discutían sino que se gritaban también) 

No sooner... than ( apenas... cuando)
I had no sooner got into the bathtub than the telephone rang.
(Apenas me había metido en la bañera cuando sonó el teléfono)
No sooner had we arrived in the USA than the police asked for our passports.
(Apenas habíamos llegado a EEUU cuando la policia nos pidió los pasaportes)

Fijaos que en el segundo grupo y en el cuarto, si not only o no sooner van al principio de la frase hay que invertir el sujeto y el verbo, o en su caso anteponer el auxiliar. En el caso de no sooner, normalmente acompaña a un past perfect, aunque también podríamos usar un past simple. Otros ejemplos serían:
Not only does Peter speak Chinese but also Japanese.
(Peter no sólo habla chino sino también japonés)
No sooner  had I bought the car than it broke down.
No sooner did I buy the car than it broke down.
(Apenas me había comprado el coche cuando se me averió)


Por otro lado, los conectores disyuntivos indican elección, separan o diferencian dos términos. En inglés, algunos de ellos son or, otherwise, or else y las correlaciones either ... or, neither ... nor, whether... or. Ya conocemos or, veamos pues las otras.


Otherwise (o si no, o de otro modo)
You'll have to hurry up, otherwise you'll be late.
(Tendrás que darte prisa, o de otro modo llegarás tarde)
Leave right now, otherwise you'll be caught.
(Vete ahora, o si no, te atraparán)

Or else (o de lo contrario)
We have to hurry up, or else we'll miss our bus.
(Tenemos que aligerarnos o de lo contrario perderemos el autobús)
You should pay the rent of the flat, or else you'll be evicted. 
(Deberías pagar el alquiler del piso, de lo contrario te van a desalojar) 


Either... or (o bien... o, ni... ni)
Either you shut your mouth and listen or you leave the class.
(O te callas la boca y escuchas o te vas de la clase)
John hasn't got either a cat or a dog.
(John no tiene ni gato ni perro)

Neither... nor (ni... ni)
Jack neither wrote nor phoned.
(Jack ni escribió ni llamó por teléfono)
John has got neither a cat nor a dog.
(Jack no tiene  ni gato ni perro)
Neither John nor Jack has got a dog.
(Ni John ni Jack tienen perro)

Whether... or (si...no)
We must decide whether to go there today or tomorrow.
(Debemos decidir si ir allí hoy o mañana)
Mary wondered whether to travel or to stay and save the money.
(Mary se preguntaba si hacer el viaje or quedarse y ahorrar el dinero)

Observad que cuando usamos neither... or como sujeto de la oración, si el segundo sujeto es singular el verbo va en singular, pero si va en plural ponemos el verbo en plural.
Neither my father nor my mother is English. (Ni mi padre ni i madre son ingleses)

Neither my father nor his friends are English. (Ni mi padre ni sus amigos son ingleses)


Con both... and siempre se pone el verbo en plural:
Both my father and my mother are Spanish. (Tanto mi padre como mi madre son españoles)

Both my father and his friends are Spanish. (Tanto mi padre como sus amigos son españoles)


Neither... nor y either... or pueden ser equivalentes cuando funcionan como objeto de la oración, pero recuerda que neither...nor lleva el verbo en afirmativo mientras que éste va en negativo con either... or.
We are neither English nor Scottish. (No somos ni ingleses ni escoceses)

We aren't either English or Scottish. (No somos ni ingleses ni escoceses)




For practice:
Exercise1, Exercise2, Exercise3, Exercise4.