as well as - Correlative Conjunction?

Question

Dear all,Can "as well as" be called a correlative conjunction? If so, please give me an example.Thanks in advance.

Regards · Accepted Answer

Hi,

No. As well as is an idiomatic phrase, but you cannot call it a correlative conjunction.

The structure as...as can function as a correlative conjunction, however:

If you were as smart as your brother, you might be able to solve this equation.

Regards

Enoon · Answer

No. "As well as" is a coordinating conjunction.

BillJ · Answer

AnonymousCan "as well as" be called a correlative conjunction? If so, please give me an example.

No, it's not a correlative.

"As well as" has two uses: a literal one used in comparisons of equality like "He played as well as he'd ever done", where the underlined phrase is an adjunct of manner; and an idiomatic use meaning roughly "and, "in addition to", as in:

1. "She [means what she says] [as well as says what she means]".
2. "[Beauty] [as well as love] is redemptive".

In 1. "as well as" behaves like a coordinator, and is therefore best analysed as a 'compound coordinator'; in 2. "as well as" is not a coordinator. "As well as love" is an adverb phrase functioning as an adjunct, not a coordinate.

BillJ

Anonymous · Answer

BillJIn 1. "as well as" behaves like a coordinator, and is therefore best analysed as a 'compound coordinator'

Sorry but I can't get what a "compound coordinator" means. Is it a grammatical term?

BillJ"[Beauty] [as well as love] is redemptive"

Is "as well as love" here a modifier?

I've learned that "as...as" is a correlative subordinating conjunction.
Ex: As soon as he recovered his breath, the messenger continued his journey.
(Kam Chuan Aik, Kam Kai Longman Dictionary of Grammar and Usage)
According to this, can we conclude "as well as" also a correlative subordinating conjunction?

BillJ · Answer

AnonymousSorry but I can't get what a "compound coordinator" means. Is it a grammatical term?

Coordinator is just another (more concise) term for coordinating conjunction. There are cases where the literal comparative meaning of expressions like "As well as" and "rather than" is bleached away, yielding expressions that resemble coordinators. For example, in the example I gave: "She [means what she says] [as well as says what she means]", "as well as" links two finite verb phrases (bracketed) and could be replaced with the coordinator "and". Which is why it's plausible to call it a compound coordinator.

AnonymousIs "as well as love" here a modifier?

No, in "Beauty as well as love is redemptive", "as well as love" is an adverb phrase functioning as a supplementary adjunct. Supplements don't modify anything, as is especially clear in this example; instead they have 'anchors' to which they relate; in this case the anchor is the verb phrase "is redemptive".

AnonymousI've learned that "as...as" is a correlative subordinating conjunction.Ex: As soon as he recovered his breath, the messenger continued his journey. (Kam Chuan Aik, Kam Kai Longman Dictionary of Grammar and Usage) According to this, can we conclude "as well as" also a correlative subordinating conjunction?

No, as I said before "as x as" is not correlative. In the example you cite here, "as soon as" is a temporal preposition taking the content clause "he recovered his breath" as clausal complement.

BillJ

Anonymous · Answer

RegardsIf you were as smart as your brother, you might be able to solve this equation.

I think as...as here is an adverb in comparison of equality, not a correlative conjunction.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you for your prompt reply. It's really useful.

BillJ · Answer

AnonymousRegards If you were as smart as your brother, you might be able to solve this equation. I think as...as here is an adverb in comparison of equality, not a correlative conjunction.

You're half right, Anon. You see, as...as is not itself a constituent, but only part of one, so we can't call it an adverb phrase. It's actually part of an adjective phrase in a comparison of equality construction.

In "If you were as smart as your brother", the underlined constituent is a predicative complement of "were", formed of an adjective phrase headed by the adjective "smart". The first "as", a degree adverb modifying "smart", is the governor, and it licenses a complement (your brother) expanded by the second "as, a preposition.

I hope that all makes sense!

BillJ

as well as - Correlative Conjunction?

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