As… as, So ….as
Incorrect: Max is not as tall as his brother, Miller.
Correct: Max is not so tall as his brother, Miller.
Incorrect: Anny is so beautiful as her sister, Jenny.
Correct: Anny is as beautiful as her sister, Jenny.
Note: Positive বা হ্যাঁ-বোধক তুলনার ক্ষেত্রে as …as, আর negative বা না-বোধক তুলনার ক্ষেত্রে ‘so …as’ correlative conjunction বসে।
Omission As
যখন Correlative conjunction ‘as …as’ ব্যবহৃত হবে তখন লক্ষ রাখতে হবে যেন দ্বিতীয় as-টা বাদ না যায়।
Incorrect: This rake is as good if not better than the old one.
Correct: This rake is as good as if not better than the old one.
অনেক grammarian-ই as… as-এর পরে ‘if not better than’ এই ধরনের phrase-কে parenthetical element মনে করেন এবং এদের দুপাশে কমা (,) বসান।
This rake is as good as, if not better than, the older one.
Not Used as a Synonym for “That” or “Whether”
Incorrect: Sara does not know as she will go.
Correct: Sara does not know whether/that she will go.
Incorrect: We are not sure as he is the man we need.
Correct: We are not sure whether/that he is the man we need.
Note: Conjunction ‘that’ এবং ‘whether’-এর বিকল্প হিসেবে as বসানো যাবে না।
Either …or, Neither… nor
Incorrect: Neither Liza or Eliz is to receive the award.
Correct: Neither Liza nor Eliz is to receive the award.
Incorrect: Either he nor I am going there.
Correct: Either he or I am going there.
Note: যখন Correlative conjunction ‘either…or’, ‘neither…nor’ ব্যবহৃত হবে, তখন লক্ষ্য রাখতে হবে যেন either-এর সাথে or, আর neither-এর সাথে nor বসে। এ ধরনের conjunction ব্যবহৃত হলে দ্বিতীয় subject অনুযায়ী verb নির্ধারিত হয়।
Incorrect: Neither Johir nor you is guilty.
Correct: Neither Johir nor you are guilty.
Incorrect: Either Sabina or her sisters has said so.
Correct: Either Sabina or her sisters have said so.
Number Involved in Either and Neither
দুই ব্যক্তি, বস্তু বা ধারণার ক্ষেত্রে either, neither ব্যবহৃত হয়; তিন বা ততোধিক ব্যক্তি, বস্তু বা ধারণার ক্ষেত্রে either, neither ব্যবহৃত হয় না।
Incorrect: Either Aric, Alex, or Sam will go there.
Correct: Aric, Alex, or Sam will go there.
Or, Either Aric or Alex will go there.
Incorrect: Neither the truck, the station wagon, nor the sports car will be there.
Correct: The truck, the station wagon, and/or the sports car will not be there.
Or, Neither the truck nor the station wagon will be there.
Either …. or and Neither……nor- Relationship of Pronouns
যখন কোনো pronoun-এর antecedent either….. or, neither …nor construction-এ থাকে তখন দ্বিতীয় noun বা pronoun-টি antecedent বলে গণ্য হয় এবং সেটা অনুযায়ী পরবর্তী verb ও pronoun নির্ধারিত হয়।
Incorrect: Either Joe or Johnson raised their hand as a signal.
Correct: Either Joe or Johnson raised his hand as a signal.
Incorrect: Neither Noble nor Nancy was in his place.
Correct: Neither Noble nor Nancy was in her place.
Except
Except হলো preposition, আর তবা কখনোই conjunction হিসেবে ব্যবহৃত হয় না। অনেক সময় অনেকে ‘unless’ conjunction-টির স্থানে except থাকেন যা নিয়মসিদ্ধ নয়।
Incorrect: They will not do the work except I give the order.
Correct: They will not do the work unless I give the order.
Incorrect: Neil does not eat except it is meal time.
Correct: Neil does not eat unless it is meal time.
If
If হলো subordinate conjunction এবং তা শর্ত প্রকাশে ব্যবহৃত হয়। Subordinate conjunction ‘whether’ এবং Relative pronoun ‘that’-এর পরিবর্তে if বসানো সঠিক নয়।
Incorrect: Jim did not know if snow was falling.
Correct: Jim did not know whether snow was falling.
Incorrect: They were sure if he was coming.
Correct: They were sure that he was coming.
Incorrect: Ann wants to know if Angelina has arrived.
Correct: Ann wants to know whether Angelina has arrived.
Like
‘Like’ word-টি verb অথবা preposition হিসেবে ব্যবহৃত হয়। এটি কখনোই conjunction হিসেবে বা কোনো conjunction-এর বিকল্প হিসেবে ব্যবহৃত হয় না।
Incorrect: Jenn cannot walk fast like I do.
Correct: Jenn cannot walk fast as I do.
Or, Jenn cannot walk fast like me.
Incorrect: Mona looks like she is a lady in distress.
Correct: Mona looks as she is a lady in distress.
Or, Mona looks like a lady in distress.
Without
Without হচ্ছে preposition যা কখনো conjunction হিসেবে ব্যবহৃত হয় না। অনেক সময় অনেকে conjunction ‘unless’-এর জায়গায় without বসিয়ে থাকেন যা সঠিক নয়।
Incorrect: We should not go there without he phones us.
Correct: We should not go there unless he phones us.
Incorrect: I shall not go to bed without I finish writing.
Correct: I shall not go to bed unless I finish writing.