5 exercises — using correlative conjunctions correctly in technical contexts: stacking benefits with not only…but also, expressing choices with either…or, documenting double failures with neither…nor, and adding requirements with as well as.
Coordination patterns — quick reference
both A and B — two things together; compound subject → plural verb: Both Redis and Memcached are viable.
either A or B — choice between two options; verb agrees with B: Either AWS or GCP works.
neither A nor B — both excluded; verb agrees with B: Neither the cache nor the DB was available.
not only A but also B — stacks two benefits; invert if sentence-initial: Not only does it scale, but it also cuts costs.
A as well as B — adds B parenthetically; verb agrees with A only: The API, as well as webhooks, must be versioned.
Parallel structure — elements joined by coordinating conjunctions must be the same grammatical form: both noun + noun or verb + verb.
0 / 20 completed
1 / 20
In a design proposal, an engineer writes: "___ our service handles increased load, ___ it maintains low latency — making it ideal for real-time dashboards." Which coordination pattern correctly expresses cumulative benefit?
Not only… but also is the correct choice for expressing two cumulative advantages, especially in a persuasive design proposal. Importantly, when "not only" opens the sentence, the subject and auxiliary verb must be inverted: "Not only does our service handle…" — compare with: "Our service not only handles… but also maintains…" (no inversion when "not only" is mid-sentence). Breakdown: (A) "Either…or" expresses a choice between two mutually exclusive options — wrong here; (B) ✅ Correct inversion + cumulative meaning; (C) "Both…and" requires parallel noun phrases or verb phrases, not two full clauses with subjects — "Both [clause] and [clause]" is non-standard; (D) "Neither…nor" expresses double negation — the opposite meaning. In architecture proposals and RFCs, not only… but also is the go-to structure to stack benefits: "Not only does GraphQL reduce over-fetching, but it also enables strongly typed contracts."
2 / 20
An incident report states: "___ the primary database ___ the replica were reachable during the outage — all read and write operations failed." Choose the grammatically correct coordination.
The sentence describes a double failure — neither component worked. Neither… nor is the correct structure for double negation. Grammar note: when "neither… nor" joins two singular noun phrases, the verb agrees with the closer subject (proximity rule): "Neither the primary database nor the replica was reachable" — "replica" is singular → "was". Breakdown: (A) "Both…and" means both were reachable → opposite meaning; (B) "Either…or" means at least one was reachable → wrong meaning; (C) ✅ Correct meaning and agreement; (D) "Not only… but also" stacks positives → wrong here. Subject-verb agreement with correlative conjunctions: Both A and B → plural verb; Either A or B / Neither A nor B / Not only A but also B → verb agrees with B (the closer subject). In incident reports, "neither… nor" is essential for documenting multi-component failures precisely.
3 / 20
In an engineering proposal, a developer writes: "We can deploy ___ to AWS ___ to GCP — both offer the SLAs we require." Which coordination is correct and appropriate here?
Either… or expresses a choice between two options where one will be selected. This is exactly the meaning needed: the team has not yet decided — both are viable, one will be chosen. Breakdown: (A) "Both…and" would mean deploying to both clouds simultaneously — a multi-cloud strategy, which is not what the sentence says; (B) ✅ "Either…or" = choose one of two options; (C) "Neither…nor" = both are ruled out — contradicts "both offer the SLAs we require"; (D) "Not only… but also" means deploying to both, stacked as two benefits. Parallel structure rule: what follows either must be grammatically parallel to what follows or. ✅ "either to AWS or to GCP" — both are prepositional phrases. ❌ "either deploy to AWS or GCP" — asymmetric (verb phrase vs. noun). In sprint planning and architecture decisions, "either…or" signals open options; "both…and" signals a decision to do both.
4 / 20
A tech lead writes in a design document: "The new authentication system, ___ our existing OAuth flow, must support multi-factor authentication." Which coordination pattern is correct?
As well as is an additive connector that introduces a secondary element without creating a compound subject. Critically, when "as well as" joins a main subject to a secondary noun, the verb agrees with the main subject alone: "The new authentication system, as well as our existing OAuth flow, must support…" — singular "system" → singular "must". This is different from "and": "The system and the OAuth flow must support…" creates a compound subject requiring a plural verb. Breakdown: (A) "Not only" needs "but also" to complete the pair — it cannot stand alone before a noun phrase; (B) ✅ Correct — parenthetical addition, verb agrees with "system"; (C) "Both" needs "and" to complete the pair; (D) "Either" needs "or". "As well as" is common in technical documentation for additive requirements that don't change the primary subject: "The API, as well as the webhooks, must be versioned."
5 / 20
During a sprint retrospective, a developer writes: "The refactoring ___ improved test coverage ___ reduced the build time by 40% — a clear win." Which coordination correctly expresses both outcomes?
Not only… but also stacks two positive outcomes with emphasis, which is perfect for a retrospective win or achievement summary. When the subject stays the same and "not only" stays mid-sentence (after the subject), there is no inversion: "The refactoring not only improved… but also reduced…". Inversion only happens when "not only" moves to the front of the sentence: "Not only did the refactoring improve coverage, but it also reduced build time." Breakdown: (A) "Either…or" implies only one outcome occurred — wrong; (B) "Neither…nor" denies both — contradicts "a clear win"; (C) ✅ Double achievement, mid-sentence position, no inversion needed; (D) Mixing "both" with "as well as" is redundant and non-standard — use one or the other. In sprint reports, postmortems, and quarterly reviews, not only… but also efficiently communicates compound wins: "Not only did we hit the deadline, but we also shipped with zero regressions."
6 / 20
Sarah, a junior developer, is reviewing Mark's code for a new feature. The code includes an API call to retrieve user data. Mark has commented: 'This function retrieves all user information from the database'. Sarah needs to provide feedback on whether this is sufficient. Which statement best describes the coordination needed?
The original comment is too vague. It doesn't address potential performance issues like large datasets. Option 1 correctly identifies that a more specific explanation is needed to ensure scalability and efficiency are considered. Options 2, 3, and 4 all present statements that are either overly positive or redundant.
7 / 20
David, a senior developer, is writing a Slack message to his team regarding an upcoming deployment. He states: 'We're deploying version 2.5 of the application with several performance improvements'. Which phrasing best demonstrates effective coordination and highlights the key changes?
Option 2 provides the clearest and most direct message about the deployment timeline and expected impact. Using 'expect some downtime' is proactive communication. Options 1 and 3 are less specific and potentially misleading. Option 4 uses slightly awkward phrasing.
8 / 20
Emily, a QA engineer, receives the following API response from the backend server: `{"status": "200", "data": {"user_id": 12345, "username": "john.doe"}}`. She needs to explain this response to a junior developer unfamiliar with API responses. Which statement best illustrates coordination and clarity?
Option 1 is the most accurate and concise explanation of the API response. It clearly states what information is being returned in a way a beginner would understand. Options 2, 3, and 4 are interpretations or assumptions rather than direct statements about the data contained within the response.
9 / 20
Michael, a developer, is writing a PR description for a code change that adds support for a new payment gateway. He writes: 'This commit integrates Stripe into our system'. Which phrasing best demonstrates coordination and provides necessary context?
Option 1 clearly explains the *benefit* of integrating Stripe – accepting payments. It's not just about adding a library; it's about what that addition enables. The other options focus on the technical implementation without explaining its purpose or impact.
10 / 20
Kevin, during a standup meeting, reports: 'I finished implementing the user authentication module. It now supports two-factor authentication'. Which statement best demonstrates coordination and concisely communicates the outcome of his work?
Option 2 is the most direct and informative statement. It clearly states what was completed (2FA support) and where it's located (the authentication system). It avoids overly technical jargon while still conveying the key detail.
11 / 20
Sarah, a junior developer, is reviewing Mark's code for a new feature. The code includes an API call to retrieve user data. Mark has commented: 'This function retrieves all user information from the database'. Sarah needs to provide feedback on whether this is sufficient. Which statement best describes the coordination needed?
The original comment is too vague. It doesn't address potential performance issues like large datasets. Option 1 correctly identifies that a more specific explanation is needed to ensure scalability and efficiency are considered. Options 2, 3, and 4 all present statements that are either overly positive or redundant.
12 / 20
David, a senior developer, is writing a Slack message to his team regarding an upcoming deployment. He states: 'We're deploying version 2.5 of the application with several performance improvements'. Which phrasing best demonstrates effective coordination and highlights the key changes?
Option 2 provides the clearest and most direct message about the deployment timeline and expected impact. Using 'expect some downtime' is proactive communication. Options 1 and 3 are less specific and potentially misleading. Option 4 uses slightly awkward phrasing.
13 / 20
Emily, a QA engineer, receives the following API response from the backend server: `{"status": "200", "data": {"user_id": 12345, "username": "john.doe"}}`. She needs to explain this response to a junior developer unfamiliar with API responses. Which statement best illustrates coordination and clarity?
Option 1 is the most accurate and concise explanation of the API response. It clearly states what information is being returned in a way a beginner would understand. Options 2, 3, and 4 are interpretations or assumptions rather than direct statements about the data contained within the response.
14 / 20
Michael, a developer, is writing a PR description for a code change that adds support for a new payment gateway. He writes: 'This commit integrates Stripe into our system'. Which phrasing best demonstrates coordination and provides necessary context?
Option 1 clearly explains the *benefit* of integrating Stripe – accepting payments. It's not just about adding a library; it's about what that addition enables. The other options focus on the technical implementation without explaining its purpose or impact.
15 / 20
Kevin, during a standup meeting, reports: 'I finished implementing the user authentication module. It now supports two-factor authentication'. Which statement best demonstrates coordination and concisely communicates the outcome of his work?
Option 2 is the most direct and informative statement. It clearly states what was completed (2FA support) and where it's located (the authentication system). It avoids overly technical jargon while still conveying the key detail.
16 / 20
Sarah, a junior developer, is reviewing Mark's code for a new feature. The code includes an API call to retrieve user data. Mark has commented: 'This function retrieves all user information from the database'. Sarah needs to provide feedback on whether this is sufficient. Which statement best describes the coordination needed?
The original comment is too vague. It doesn't address potential performance issues like large datasets. Option 1 correctly identifies that a more specific explanation is needed to ensure scalability and efficiency are considered. Options 2, 3, and 4 all present statements that are either overly positive or redundant.
17 / 20
David, a senior developer, is writing a Slack message to his team regarding an upcoming deployment. He states: 'We're deploying version 2.5 of the application with several performance improvements'. Which phrasing best demonstrates effective coordination and highlights the key changes?
Option 2 provides the clearest and most direct message about the deployment timeline and expected impact. Using 'expect some downtime' is proactive communication. Options 1 and 3 are less specific and potentially misleading. Option 4 uses slightly awkward phrasing.
18 / 20
Emily, a QA engineer, receives the following API response from the backend server: `{"status": "200", "data": {"user_id": 12345, "username": "john.doe"}}`. She needs to explain this response to a junior developer unfamiliar with API responses. Which statement best illustrates coordination and clarity?
Option 1 is the most accurate and concise explanation of the API response. It clearly states what information is being returned in a way a beginner would understand. Options 2, 3, and 4 are interpretations or assumptions rather than direct statements about the data contained within the response.
19 / 20
Michael, a developer, is writing a PR description for a code change that adds support for a new payment gateway. He writes: 'This commit integrates Stripe into our system'. Which phrasing best demonstrates coordination and provides necessary context?
Option 1 clearly explains the *benefit* of integrating Stripe – accepting payments. It's not just about adding a library; it's about what that addition enables. The other options focus on the technical implementation without explaining its purpose or impact.
20 / 20
Kevin, during a standup meeting, reports: 'I finished implementing the user authentication module. It now supports two-factor authentication'. Which statement best demonstrates coordination and concisely communicates the outcome of his work?
Option 2 is the most direct and informative statement. It clearly states what was completed (2FA support) and where it's located (the authentication system). It avoids overly technical jargon while still conveying the key detail.
What will I practise in "Coordination Patterns in Technical English — IT English Grammar Exercise"?
Practice coordination patterns in technical English: both…and, not only…but also, either…or, neither…nor, and as well as — in design documents, incident
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 20 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.