5th Grade Writing Quiz: Use Correlative Conjunctions

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Use Correlative Conjunctions, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for 5th Grade Writing.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

Question 1

1. Either the students is bringing the supplies.
2. Either the students or the teacher is bringing the supplies. (correct answer)
3. Either the students or the teacher are bringing the supplies.
4. Either the students and the teacher is bringing the supplies.

Explanation: This question tests CCSS.L.5.1.e: using correlative conjunctions (either/or, neither/nor, both/and, not only/but also). Correlative conjunctions are pairs of connecting words that work together to show relationships between ideas. The four main pairs are: either/or (choice between two), neither/nor (excludes both), both/and (includes both, verb always plural), and not only/but also (emphasizes second item). Both parts of the pair are needed, and the connected elements must have parallel structure (same grammatical form). This sentence shows choice between two options (the students or the teacher bringing supplies), which requires the correlative conjunction pair either/or. The two elements being connected are the students and the teacher. Choice B is correct because it uses either/or with both parts present and correct subject-verb agreement. The verb 'is' is singular because with 'either/or', the verb agrees with the closer subject (the teacher), which is singular. Choice A has incorrect subject-verb agreement (using plural 'are' when the closer subject 'teacher' is singular), Choice C represents a wrong pair combination error (using 'and' with 'either' instead of 'or'), and Choice D represents an incomplete pair error (missing 'or the teacher'). These errors occur when students don't apply the subject-verb agreement rule correctly or don't use complete correlative conjunction pairs. To help students: Create anchor charts showing the four correlative conjunction pairs and their meanings (either/or = choice, neither/nor = excludes both, both/and = includes both, not only/but also = emphasizes). Emphasize that correlative conjunctions work in PAIRS - both parts are always needed. Practice parallel structure: 'Either walk or ride' (both verbs), 'Both smart and kind' (both adjectives) - the parts connected must be the same grammatical type. Teach subject-verb agreement rules: 'both/and' always takes plural verb; 'either/or' and 'neither/nor' verb agrees with closer subject. Remember: neither goes with NOR (not or). Watch for: incomplete pairs (using only 'either' or 'both' without the partner), mixing pair parts ('either...nor' or 'neither...or'), non-parallel structure ('either walking or to ride'), and using 'or' with 'neither' (should be 'nor').

Question 2

1. Either to read or writing is allowed during free time.
2. Either reading or to write is allowed during free time.
3. Either reading or writing is allowed during free time. (correct answer)
4. Either reading and writing is allowed during free time.

Explanation: With "either... or," the two parts should match in form, so "either reading or writing" keeps parallel "-ing" verbs. Choice C is correct. Choice A mixes "to read" with "writing," Choice B mixes "reading" with "to write," and Choice D pairs "either" with "and," so none keeps both parts parallel and correct.

Question 3

1. Both glue or tape will help us fix the model.
2. Both glue and tape will help us fix the model. (correct answer)
3. Either glue nor tape will help us fix the model.
4. Neither glue and tape will help us fix the model.

Explanation: Correlative conjunctions come in fixed pairs, and this sentence needs the pair that shows two items are both included. The correct sentence uses "both" with "and" to say that glue and tape together will help fix the model. "Both" always partners with "and," so pairing "both" with "or" is wrong; "or" signals a choice between items, not two items included together. Starting with "either" but continuing with "nor" mixes two different pairs, since "either" must go with "or" and "nor" belongs with "neither." Beginning with "neither" but continuing with "and" also breaks the pair, because "neither" must go with "nor," and it would wrongly mean the items do NOT help. Only "both...and" correctly keeps its matching partner and shows that both glue and tape are needed.

Question 4

1. either / nor
2. either / or (correct answer)
3. both / and
4. neither / nor

Explanation: Correlative conjunctions come in matched pairs, and each pair must stay together. The sentence offers a choice between two actions: walking or riding bikes. The pair that shows a choice between two options is either/or, so 'We can either walk or ride bikes' is correct. The pair that mixes 'either' with 'nor' is wrong because 'either' always partners with 'or,' never 'nor.' The pair both/and is wrong here because it means you do both things together, but the sentence gives you a choice, not a combination. The pair neither/nor is wrong because it rules out both actions, saying you can do neither one, which is the opposite of what the sentence means. Remember: either goes with or, and neither goes with nor.

Question 5

1. Neither / nor (correct answer)
2. Either / or
3. Both / and
4. Not only / but also

Explanation: The sentence uses the pair "Neither... nor" to join Maya and Chen and show that neither one has a card. Choice A is correct. "Either / or," "Both / and," and "Not only / but also" are other correlative pairs, but they do not appear in this sentence, so Choices B, C, and D are not right.

Question 6

1. We can either play soccer after school and practice for the band concert.
2. We can either playing soccer after school or to practice for the band concert.
3. We can either play soccer after school or practice for the band concert. (correct answer)
4. We can neither play soccer after school or practice for the band concert.

Explanation: The correlative pair "either... or" must be used together with matching verb forms, giving "either play... or practice." Choice C does this, so it is correct. Choice A pairs "either" with "and," Choice B uses mismatched verb forms, and Choice D pairs "neither" with "or" (it should be "nor"), so none is right.

Question 7

1. Neither running and jumping are allowed in the hallway.
2. Either running nor jumping is allowed in the hallway.
3. Neither running nor jumping is allowed in the hallway. (correct answer)
4. Neither running or jumping is allowed in the hallway.

Explanation: To exclude both options, the correct pair is "neither... nor," giving "Neither running nor jumping is allowed." Choice C is correct. Choice A pairs "neither" with "and," Choice B pairs "either" with "nor," and Choice D pairs "neither" with "or," so none uses the correct pair.

Question 8

1. either / or
2. not only / but also
3. both / and (correct answer)
4. neither / nor

Explanation: This question tests CCSS.L.5.1.e: using correlative conjunctions (either/or, neither/nor, both/and, not only/but also). Correlative conjunctions are pairs of connecting words that work together to show relationships between ideas. The four main pairs are: either/or (choice between two), neither/nor (excludes both), both/and (includes both, verb always plural), and not only/but also (emphasizes second item). Both parts of the pair are needed, and the connected elements must have parallel structure (same grammatical form). This sentence includes both people together (Jamal and Sofia are both bringing snacks), which requires the correlative conjunction pair both/and. The two elements being connected are Jamal and Sofia. Choice C is correct because it identifies both/and with both parts present: both connects to and. The structure is parallel (both proper nouns), and the verb 'are' is correctly plural because 'both/and' always takes a plural verb. Choice A represents wrong pair for meaning error - 'either/or' shows choice, but the sentence includes both people, not a choice between them. This error occurs when students don't match the conjunction pair to the sentence meaning. To help students: Create anchor charts showing the four correlative conjunction pairs and their meanings (either/or = choice, neither/nor = excludes both, both/and = includes both, not only/but also = emphasizes). Emphasize that correlative conjunctions work in PAIRS - both parts are always needed. Practice parallel structure: 'Either walk or ride' (both verbs), 'Both smart and kind' (both adjectives) - the parts connected must be the same grammatical type. Teach subject-verb agreement rules: 'both/and' always takes plural verb; 'either/or' and 'neither/nor' verb agrees with closer subject. Remember: neither goes with NOR (not or). Watch for: incomplete pairs (using only 'either' or 'both' without the partner), mixing pair parts ('either...nor' or 'neither...or'), non-parallel structure ('either walking or to ride'), and using 'or' with 'neither' (should be 'nor').

Question 9

1. both / or
2. not only / but also (correct answer)
3. neither / nor
4. not only / and

Explanation: This question tests CCSS.L.5.1.e: using correlative conjunctions (either/or, neither/nor, both/and, not only/but also). Correlative conjunctions are pairs of connecting words that work together to show relationships between ideas. The four main pairs are: either/or (choice between two), neither/nor (excludes both), both/and (includes both, verb always plural), and not only/but also (emphasizes second item). Both parts of the pair are needed, and the connected elements must have parallel structure (same grammatical form). This sentence emphasizes the second quality while including both (helpful and patient), which requires the correlative conjunction pair not only/but also. The two elements being connected are helpful and patient. Choice A is correct because it uses not only/but also with both parts present: not only connects to but also. The structure is parallel (both adjectives: helpful and patient), and this pair correctly emphasizes that Amir is patient in addition to being helpful. Choice B represents an incomplete pair error using 'not only/and' instead of the complete 'not only/but also'. This error occurs when students don't use the complete second part of this correlative pair. To help students: Create anchor charts showing the four correlative conjunction pairs and their meanings, emphasizing that 'not only/but also' has FOUR words total. Practice recognizing that 'but also' works as a unit - both words are needed for the second part. Teach that this pair emphasizes the second element while including both. Remember: the complete pair is 'not only...but also' (not just 'not only...and'). Watch for incomplete pairs where students forget 'but' or 'also'.

Question 10

1. Neither running or jumping is allowed in the hallway during lunch.
2. Neither running is allowed nor jumping in the hallway during lunch.
3. Neither running nor jumping is allowed in the hallway during lunch. (correct answer)
4. Either running nor jumping is allowed in the hallway during lunch.

Explanation: The correlative pair is "neither... nor," and the two things excluded ("running" and "jumping") should sit right after each conjunction. Choice C does this: "Neither running nor jumping is allowed." Choice A uses "neither... or," Choice B splits the pair awkwardly, and Choice D uses "either... nor," so none pairs the conjunctions correctly.

Question 11

1. both/and
2. neither/nor (correct answer)
3. not only/but also
4. either/or

Explanation: This question tests CCSS.L.5.1.e: using correlative conjunctions (either/or, neither/nor, both/and, not only/but also). Correlative conjunctions are pairs of connecting words that work together to show relationships between ideas. The four main pairs are: either/or (choice between two), neither/nor (excludes both), both/and (includes both, verb always plural), and not only/but also (emphasizes second item). Both parts of the pair are needed, and the connected elements must have parallel structure (same grammatical form). This sentence excludes both options (neither Jamal nor Sofia), which requires the correlative conjunction pair neither/nor. The two elements being connected are Jamal and Sofia. Choice C is correct because it identifies neither/nor as the correlative conjunction pair used in the sentence. The structure is parallel (both proper nouns), and the verb 'has' correctly agrees with the closer subject 'Sofia' following the neither/nor agreement rule. The other choices represent misidentification errors where students don't recognize which correlative pair is being used. This error occurs when students focus on meaning rather than the actual words present in the sentence. To help students: Create anchor charts showing the four correlative conjunction pairs and their meanings (either/or = choice, neither/nor = excludes both, both/and = includes both, not only/but also = emphasizes). Practice identifying correlative pairs by underlining both parts in sentences. Teach subject-verb agreement rules: 'both/and' always takes plural verb; 'either/or' and 'neither/nor' verb agrees with closer subject. Remember: neither goes with NOR (not or). Watch for the specific words used, not just the meaning conveyed.

Question 12

1. Either the coach or the players is bringing water.
2. Either the coach nor the players are bringing water.
3. Either the coach or the players are bringing water. (correct answer)
4. Either the coach and the players is bringing water.

Explanation: With "either/or," the verb agrees with the closer subject, and "players" is plural, so the correct verb is "are." Choice C uses "Either... or... are," so it is correct. Choice A keeps the singular "is," Choice B uses "either... nor," and Choice D uses "either... and," so none pairs the conjunctions and the verb correctly.

Question 13

1. both / and
2. either / or
3. neither / nor
4. not only / but also (correct answer)

Explanation: This question tests CCSS.L.5.1.e: using correlative conjunctions (either/or, neither/nor, both/and, not only/but also). Correlative conjunctions are pairs of connecting words that work together to show relationships between ideas. The four main pairs are: either/or (choice between two), neither/nor (excludes both), both/and (includes both, verb always plural), and not only/but also (emphasizes second item). Both parts of the pair are needed, and the connected elements must have parallel structure (same grammatical form). This sentence emphasizes the second quality (Yuki is helpful and especially creative), which requires the correlative conjunction pair not only/but also. The two elements being connected are helpful and creative. Choice D is correct because it identifies not only/but also with both parts present: not only connects to but also. The structure is parallel (both adjectives), and the meaning correctly emphasizes that Yuki has both qualities, with special emphasis on being creative. Choice A represents wrong pair for meaning error - 'both/and' simply includes both qualities equally, but the sentence structure emphasizes the second quality with 'but also'. This error occurs when students don't recognize the emphasizing function of 'not only/but also'. To help students: Create anchor charts showing the four correlative conjunction pairs and their meanings (either/or = choice, neither/nor = excludes both, both/and = includes both, not only/but also = emphasizes). Emphasize that correlative conjunctions work in PAIRS - both parts are always needed. Practice parallel structure: 'Either walk or ride' (both verbs), 'Both smart and kind' (both adjectives) - the parts connected must be the same grammatical type. Teach subject-verb agreement rules: 'both/and' always takes plural verb; 'either/or' and 'neither/nor' verb agrees with closer subject. Remember: neither goes with NOR (not or). Watch for: incomplete pairs (using only 'either' or 'both' without the partner), mixing pair parts ('either...nor' or 'neither...or'), non-parallel structure ('either walking or to ride'), and using 'or' with 'neither' (should be 'nor').

Question 14

1. Both flour or sugar are needed for the recipe.
2. Both flour and sugar are needed for the recipe. (correct answer)
3. Both flour but sugar are needed for the recipe.
4. Both flour and to sugar are needed for the recipe.

Explanation: Correlative conjunctions come in pairs that must be used together, like both/and. When you include two items together, both partners with and, and the words being joined must be the same kind (here, two nouns: flour and sugar). The correct sentence pairs both with and and connects two nouns cleanly: 'Both flour and sugar are needed for the recipe.' The sentence using 'both flour or sugar' is wrong because both partners with and, not or. The sentence using 'both flour but sugar' is wrong because 'but' is not the partner for 'both' either; it does not form a correlative pair. The sentence using 'both flour and to sugar' has the right pair, but the two parts do not match: 'flour' is a noun while 'to sugar' is not the same form, so the structure is not parallel. Only the sentence that pairs both/and and keeps both items as matching nouns follows the rule correctly.

Question 15

1. Either the students or the teacher are leading the line.
2. Either the students or the teacher is leading the line. (correct answer)
3. Neither the students nor the teacher are leading the line.
4. Either the students or the teachers is leading the line.

Explanation: With a correlative pair like "either... or" (or "neither... nor"), the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. In the correct sentence, the nearer subject is "the teacher," which is singular, so the singular verb "is" is right. The sentence that says the students or the teacher "are" uses a plural verb, but "teacher" is singular, so it does not agree. The sentence with "neither... nor" also has the singular nearer subject "teacher," so it needs "is," not the plural "are." The sentence ending "the teachers is" uses the singular verb "is" with the plural nearer subject "teachers," so the verb does not agree either. Only the sentence with the singular nearer subject "teacher" matched to "is" follows the rule.

Question 16

1. Sofia is both smart and being kind.
2. Sofia is both smart and she is kind.
3. Sofia is both smart and kind. (correct answer)
4. Sofia is both smart and very caring.

Explanation: The pair "both … and" should join two matching parts. In the correct sentence, "smart" and "kind" are both single adjectives, so the two parts match perfectly and the structure is parallel. In "both smart and being kind," the word "being" turns the second part into a phrase, so it no longer matches the single adjective "smart." In "both smart and she is kind," the second part becomes a whole clause with a subject and verb, which does not match the adjective before it. In "both smart and very caring," the first part is one adjective but the second part adds an extra word, so the two sides are not built the same way. Only "both smart and kind" keeps the conjunction and the parallel structure correct.

Question 17

1. Both Jamal and Sofia is bringing markers for the poster project.
2. Both Jamal or Sofia are bringing markers for the poster project.
3. Both Jamal and Sofia are bringing markers for the poster project. (correct answer)
4. Jamal and Sofia are bringing both markers for the poster project.

Explanation: The correlative pair is "both... and," and it joins two subjects (Jamal and Sofia), which take the plural verb "are." Choice C uses "Both Jamal and Sofia are," so it is correct. Choice A uses the singular "is," Choice B pairs "both" with "or," and Choice D moves "both" so it no longer joins the two people, so none is right.

Question 18

1. Chen is not only helpful and also patient when he tutors younger students.
2. Chen is not only helpful when he tutors younger students.
3. Chen is both helpful but also patient when he tutors younger students.
4. Chen is not only helpful but also patient when he tutors younger students. (correct answer)

Explanation: The correct correlative pair is "not only... but also," giving "not only helpful but also patient." Choice D uses it correctly, so it is right. Choice A pairs "not only" with "and also," Choice B is missing the second part, and Choice C pairs "both" with "but also," so none uses the pair correctly.

Question 19

1. Both Maya or Chen are on the safety team.
2. Both Maya are on the safety team.
3. Both Maya and Chen are on the safety team. (correct answer)
4. Both Maya and Chen is on the safety team.

Explanation: The correlative pair is "both... and," so the sentence should read "Both Maya and Chen are on the safety team." Choice C is correct. Choice A pairs "both" with "or," Choice B is missing the second name, and Choice D uses "is" instead of "are" for a plural subject, so none is right.

Question 20

1. Yuki likes both drawing comics after school.
2. Yuki likes both drawing comics and painting pictures after school. (correct answer)
3. Yuki likes both to draw comics and painting pictures after school.
4. Yuki likes both drawing comics and to paint pictures after school.

Explanation: With "both... and," the two parts should match in form, so "both drawing comics and painting pictures" keeps parallel "-ing" verbs. Choice B is correct. Choice A is missing the "and" part, Choice C mixes "to draw" with "painting," and Choice D mixes "drawing" with "to paint," so none keeps parallel structure.