In English language, a word that serves as a connector falls under the part of speech – conjunctions. We will in this article address the question, is “nor” a conjunction.
The word “nor” is a conjunction. A conjunction is nothing but a word that serves the purpose of joining or connecting. It may connect or link words, sentences, clauses or phrases. The word ‘nor’ is utilized to connect by denoting a negative meaning to a sentence.
With various interesting facts, we shall get to know more about the word “nor” and shall explore how, when and why it is used as a conjunction.
When is “nor” a conjunction
We have come to know that the word “nor” can function as a conjunction. We will here discuss at what situations, places (when) the word “nor” is a conjunction.
The word “nor” is used as a conjunction when it helps in joining two main clauses (independent clauses) together. The conjunction “nor” is used to join two related negative main clauses in a sentence. The conjunction “nor” can also follow the conjunction “neither” to connect two negative statements.
| Examples | Explanations |
| 1. Ruhi did not speak to me yesterday, nor did she speak to me today. | Main Clause 1: Ruhi did not speak to me Main Clause 2 : nor did she speak to me today The conjunction “nor” is used here to connect two negative clauses and shows that Ruhi did not speak to “me” yesterday and today. |
| 2. Neither does she attend her classes regularly, nor does she submit her assignments regularly. | Main Clause 1: neither does she attend her classes regularly Main Clause 2: nor does she submit her assignments regularly The conjunction “nor” here follows another conjunction “neither” and connects the clauses by giving them a negative meaning. They tell us that “she” does not attend regularly the class and does not submit her assignments. |
Why is “nor” a coordinating conjunction
We are already clear of the fact that the word “nor” can be a conjunction. Here we will get to know why “nor” falling under the category of the coordinating conjunctions.
A conjunction that exclusively joins two or more independent clauses (main clauses) together falls under the coordinating conjunctions. In that way, “nor” can be considered as a coordinating conjunction since it only connects two main clauses together and not a subordinate clause to a main clause.
Example: Vishal is not going to the party, nor am I.
Main Clause 1: Vishal is not going to the party
Main Clause 2: nor am I
Coordinating Conjunction: nor
Here, “nor” is a coordinating conjunction since it is connecting two clauses of equal rank and equal importance (main clauses) into a single sentence.
Examples of “nor” as coordinating conjunctions
Let us get to know in detail about the usage of “nor” as conjunctions with a few examples and their related explanations.
The table below consists of the example sentences where the word “nor” is utilized as coordinating conjunctions.
| Examples | Explanations |
| 1. Ravi could not speak English, nor could he write English. | Main Clause 1: Ravi could not speak English Main Clause 2 : nor could he write English The conjunction “nor” is used here to link two negative clauses of equal rank and shows that Ravi could not speak and write English. |
| 2. Varsha does not visit us nowadays, nor does she speaks to us over the phone. | Main Clause 1: Varsha does not visit us nowadays Main Clause 2 : nor does she speaks to us over the phone In this sentence, the conjunction “nor” is used to connect two negative independent clauses and is used to indicate that nowadays, Varsha does not visit and does not call “us”. |
| 3. Neither the science test, nor the math test was easy. | Main Clause 1: neither the science test Main Clause 2: nor the math test was easy The conjunction “nor” here is following the conjunction “neither” and connects two main clauses by giving them a negative meaning. They convey to us that both the science and the math test were not easy. |
| 4. The manager will not listen to me, nor will he to you. | Main Clause 1: the manager will not listen to me Main Clause 2 : nor will he listen to you In this sentence, the conjunction “nor” is utilized to link two negative independent clauses and is used to denote that the manager will not listen to both you and me. |
| 5. Neither the boys, nor the girls are disciplined. | Main Clause 1: neither the boys Main Clause 2: nor the girls are disciplined The conjunction “nor” here is succeeding the conjunction “neither” and connects two independent clauses by giving them a negative meaning. They convey to us that both the boys and girls are not disciplined. |
When is “nor” not considered as conjunction
The word “nor” can be a conjunction, but not always. Let us here, discuss about the instances and places where “nor” is not just a conjunction.
The word “nor” is not considered as a conjunction, when it somehow modifies the action word (verb) in the sentence. Apart from just functioning as a tool to connect and link clauses, the word “nor” can also be used as an adverb as In such sentences, the word “nor” does not connect the clauses.
Example: Rashi does not like cats. Nor do Sahil.
In the above example, there are two individual sentences. Here, the word “nor” is not used to connect but instead is used to modify the verb “does not like”, by telling us Sahil also does not like cats and hence is functioning as an adverb here.
Examples of “nor” not considered as conjunctions
We shall see a few examples where the word “nor” is not a conjunction.
The table below comprises of the examples.
| Examples | Uses | Explanations |
| 1. My sister does not prefer travelling by train. Nor do I. | Used as an adverb | Here, the word “nor” is not connecting two clauses as there are two different sentences. The word “nor” is an adverb as it is modifying the action word “does not prefer”, by telling us that “I” also does not prefer to travel by train just like the sister. |
| 2. The students do not want special classes. Nor do I. | Used as an adverb | Here, the word “nor” is not a conjunction that connects two clauses as there are two different sentences. The word “nor” is an adverb as it is modifying the verb “does not want”, by telling us that “I” also does not want special classes just like the students. |
| 3. My mother does not prefer to drink tea. Nor do I. | Used as an adverbHere, the word “nor” is not a conjunction that connects two clauses but is an adverb. It is modifying the verb “does not prefer”, by telling us that “I” also does not prefer to drink tea just like my mother. |
Conclusion
Through, this article we have come to understand the usage of the word “nor” as a coordinating conjunction and its role in connecting at least two independent clauses.
Hi… I am Sowndharya Jagadeeswaran, a university rank holder in M.A. English Literature. I have also done my master’s in Business Administration. Inquisitive as I am, my interest in action-oriented research helped me publish research papers in reputed journals. Now, as a career, I am an instructor where I teach young and adorable students the intricate technicalities of Public Speaking and Creative Writing. I also enjoy writing articles on topics I specialize and research in.
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