Normally, the rule for correlative conjunctions is that the two elements being combined must be parallel in structure. But I believe there are cases this rule is broken, but I'm not sure why they're still considered correct.
Examples of correlative conjunctions are:
- not only...but also...
- neither...nor...
- either...nor...
- both...and...
- between...and...
- at once...and...
- just as...so...
- as...as...
- as many...as...
- so...that...
There are many more correlative conjunctions, but these will suffice.
Here's how the parallelism rule works:
He is NOT ONLY happy BUT ALSO tired. = correct because "happy" and "tired" are both adjectives and thus parallel
They are EITHER going to swim OR going to drown. = correct. The verb phrases are parallel.
But here are cases when the elements are NOT parallel, which is what confuses me. Why do these cases break the parallelism rule?
He is AS strong AS an ox. = correct, yet "strong" (adjective) is not parallel to "an ox" (noun). What gives?
I was SO happy THAT I could scream. = correct, yet "happy" (adj.) and "I could scream" are not parallel.
NOT ONLY did he cheat on this exam BUT he ALSO cheated on all exams. = correct, yet "did he cheat on this exam" seems inverted, using a verb-subject structure, rather than the subject-verb structure in the second half. So it's not perfectly parallel, yet I know the sentence is fine. How do you explain this?
Twice as many people inhabit China as inhabit India. = correct, yet "people inhabit China" doesn't seem parallel to "inhabit India." The "inhabit" carries over, so that's good. Maybe there is an implied "people" that also carries over to the second half? Not sure.
Would the following be considered correct?
A) Twice as many people inhabit China as people inhabit India.
B) Twice as many people inhabit China as people who inhabit India.
How do you explain these exceptions to the parallelism rule? Thanks!
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