ESEN
Which one to use?Advancedconjunctionconjunction
As well asvsAnd
'As well as' places greater emphasis on the first element; 'and' treats both elements equally.
Side-by-side comparison
As well as
conjunction"As well as" means "in addition to". The trick: the verb agrees only with the first element, not with both together. Think of it as a parenthetical addition.
She speaks French as well as Spanish, which makes her great for the role.
The course covers grammar as well as pronunciation and listening skills.
He is a talented writer as well as an experienced editor.
And
conjunction"And" joins two elements with equal weight. When it joins two subjects, the verb is plural. It is the most direct and neutral way to add information.
My sister and I cooked dinner while Dad set the table.
Speed and accuracy are both important when you type on a keyboard.
She bought milk, eggs, and bread at the supermarket on her way home.
Common mistake
- •The most important agreement mistake: "The director as well as his team are working" is wrong.
- •"As well as" does not create a plural subject: the verb agrees with the first element. Correct: "The director, as well as his team, is working".
Trick to remember it
- •Mentally put parentheses around "as well as ...": the real subject is what remains outside.
- •"The director (as well as his team) is...".
- •With "and" there are no parentheses: "the director and his team are..."
Quick rule
- •"As well as" = verb agrees with the FIRST element.
- •"And" = plural verb when both are the subject.
- •"The CEO, as well as the board, is..." vs "The CEO and the board are..."
Did you know?
The agreement rule for "as well as" is one of the most debated points between prescriptive grammarians and descriptive linguists. Formal English insists on the singular verb. However, in journalistic and informal English, plural agreement is very common even among educated native speakers, because the plural sense is so strong that the brain applies plural agreement naturally.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
My mum, as well as my sisters, _____ coming to the party.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Tom _____ Sarah went to the cinema together last night.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
BothvsAll / Every
'Both' refers to two things; 'all' refers to the entirety of a group; 'every' emphasizes each member individually.
Both... andvsNeither... nor
'Both... and' connects two elements positively; 'neither... nor' connects them negatively.
Not only... but alsovsBoth... and
'Not only... but also' adds emphasis to the second element; 'both... and' connects two elements with equal weight.
AvsAn
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy