The Editor’s Manual
Free learning resource on English grammar, punctuation, usage, and style.
Use “both” to refer to two people or things. “Both” and “both of” can sometimes be used interchangeably, but not always. Use parallel structure with “both–and.” No commas are needed around “both.”
Use “either-or” to affirm the one or the other of two alternatives and “neither-nor” to negate them both simultaneously. Make sure that the elements joined using “or” and “nor” are grammatically balanced and parallel in structure.
When the words in a compound subject are joined by “and,” it is plural. When they are joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb should agree with the part closest to it. When phrases like “as well as” are attached to a singular subject, it stays singular.
It’s grammatically fine to start a sentence with a conjunction like “and,” “but,” and “or.” Do this when you want to emphasize the connection between two sentences.
It is grammatically fine to use “because” at the start of a sentence. Just remember to write a complete sentence, and avoid using a pronoun before its noun.
Conjunctions link words, phrases, clauses, and sentences, and show a logical relation between them. Coordinating conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “but”) link elements of equal grammatical status, while subordinating conjunctions (e.g., “because,” “though”) make one clause depend on another for complete meaning.