Correlative Structures

Level 6

Correlative structures are pairs of words (like tanto... quanto) that work together to connect two parts of a sentence. They create a sense of balance and emphasis, signaling that the second part is just as important as the first.

How It Works

Correlative structures (construções correlativas) are essential for advanced Portuguese prose. They function as a single logical unit to link words, phrases, or clauses.

1. Common Types:

  • Additive: Não só... mas também (Not only... but also). This adds information while emphasizing the second element.
  • Alternative: Ou... ou (Either... or), Ora... ora (Now... now / Sometimes... sometimes), and quer... quer (Whether... or).
  • Comparative: Tanto... quanto/como (Both... and / As much as). Note that tanto... quanto is more common in Brazil, while tanto... como is standard in Portugal.
  • Negative: nem... nem (Neither... nor).

2. The Rule of Parallelism:
This is the most critical aspect at Level 6. The grammatical category following the first connector must match the one following the second. For example, if the first connector precedes a prepositional phrase (e.g., pela beleza), the second must also precede a prepositional phrase (e.g., pela inteligência).

3. Register and Nuance:
While ou... ou is neutral, structures like ora... ora or seja... seja are more literary and formal. In highly formal writing, não só... mas também can be replaced by não apenas... senão também for even greater emphasis.

Examples (5)

  1. Não só o governo como também a oposição concordaram com a nova medida.

    Not only the government but also the opposition agreed with the new measure.

    Word by Word: Not only the government as also the opposition agreed with the new measure.

    This uses 'não só... como também' to emphasize that both parties agreed. Note the plural verb 'concordaram' because both subjects performed the action.

  2. Ora buscava o silêncio da montanha, ora a agitação da cidade.

    Sometimes he sought the silence of the mountain, sometimes the bustle of the city.

    Word by Word: Now sought the silence of the mountain, now the bustle of the city.

    'Ora... ora' indicates alternating states or actions, common in literary descriptions.

  3. Quer chova, quer faça sol, o evento será realizado no estádio.

    Whether it rains or shines, the event will be held at the stadium.

    Word by Word: Whether rains, whether makes sun, the event will be realized in the stadium.

    'Quer... quer' is a formal correlative used to show that the outcome remains the same regardless of the condition.

  4. Tanto os alunos quanto os professores ficaram satisfeitos com o resultado.

    Both the students and the teachers were satisfied with the result.

    Word by Word: Both the students as much as the teachers stayed satisfied with the result.

    'Tanto... quanto' creates a balanced comparison of equality between the two subjects.

  5. Ele não só estuda música, mas também pratica esportes todos os dias.

    He not only studies music, but also practices sports every day.

    Word by Word: He not only studies music, but also practices sports all the days.

    This demonstrates morphological parallelism: both connectors are followed by a verb (estuda / pratica).

Common Mistakes

  • Faulty parallelism (mixing grammatical categories).

    Não só pela beleza, mas também a história.
    Não só pela beleza, mas também pela história.

    If the first part uses a preposition ('pela'), the second part must repeat it to maintain balance.

  • Mixing the 'halves' of different correlative pairs.

    Não só estuda e também trabalha.
    Não só estuda, mas também trabalha.

    Learners often use 'e' instead of 'mas' in the 'not only... but also' structure. The standard pair is 'não só... mas também'.

  • Incorrect subject-verb agreement with 'tanto... quanto'.

    Tanto o pai quanto o filho ficou feliz.
    Tanto o pai quanto o filho ficaram felizes.

    When 'tanto... quanto' links two subjects, the verb should almost always be in the plural because both subjects are included in the action.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Correlative StructuresLevel 6

Learn This First

To learn correlative structures, you must first understand how basic conjunctions and comparative pairs function to link ideas. These formal structures rely on the logic of symmetry and pairing already present in simpler forms like 'neither...nor' and equality comparisons.