B. Foundations of Language · Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation

Proper Adjectives and Correlative Conjunctions

B3.2 B3.3About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can form proper adjectives from proper nouns and capitalize them.
I can explain what job a proper adjective does in a sentence.
I can use correlative conjunction pairs like either...or and not only...but also.
I can keep the parts after each conjunction balanced, and make the verb agree.

Words to know

proper noun
The name of a specific person, place, group or thing, like Canada or Nunavut. It starts with a capital.

proper adjective
An adjective made from a proper noun, like Canadian or Italian. It also starts with a capital.

conjunction
A joining word, like and, but or because.

correlative conjunctions
Joining words that work in pairs: both...and, either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also, whether...or.

parallel
Balanced: built the same way.

Remember from Grade 4

In Grade 4 you learned to capitalize proper adjectives: a Canadian flag, a Japanese garden. In Grade 5 you'll look at how proper adjectives are built and what job they do in a sentence. Then you'll meet a new team of joining words that always come in pairs.

Proper adjectives: what they do

An adjective describes a noun. A proper adjective describes a noun by connecting it to a specific place, people or thing.

a Canadian coin (which kind of coin? one from Canada)
an Ontarian lake
a Victorian house (from the time of Queen Victoria)

The proper adjective gets a capital, but the noun it describes does not: a Canadian coin, not a Canadian Coin.

Proper noun	Proper adjective	Example
Canada	Canadian (+ -ian)	a Canadian winter
Italy	Italian (+ -ian)	Italian bread
Mexico	Mexican (+ -an)	Mexican art
Japan	Japanese (+ -ese)	a Japanese garden
Spain	Spanish (+ -ish)	Spanish music
Pakistan	Pakistani (+ -i)	Pakistani food
France	French (changes)	French toast
Toronto, Inuit, Métis	the same word	the Toronto skyline, Inuit art, Métis fiddle music

Many proper adjectives add a suffix. Some don't change at all.

A proper noun plus a suffix makes a proper adjective. The adjective keeps its capital letter, but the noun it describes (winter, garden) does not.

Respectful capitals

Words for peoples are always capitalized, whether they are nouns or adjectives: First Nations communities, Inuit artists, Métis culture, Anishinaabe stories. Using the name a community uses for itself, spelled correctly with its capital letter, is a sign of respect.

Worked example

Let's find and fix proper adjectives

Fix the capitals: We ate at an italian restaurant and watched a canadian Film.

italian comes from Italy, a proper noun, and describes restaurant. Capitalize it: Italian.
canadian comes from Canada and describes film: Canadian.
Film is a common noun. It doesn't need a capital: film.

We ate at an Italian restaurant and watched a Canadian film.

Correlative conjunctions: joining words in pairs

Some conjunctions work as a team of two. They join two ideas that are equal partners:

both...and: Both my mom and my aunt play hockey.
either...or: We can either skate or go sledding. (one choice)
neither...nor: I like neither spinach nor peas. (not one, not the other)
not only...but also: Beavers are not only good swimmers but also great builders.
whether...or: Tell me whether you want soup or a sandwich.

Correlative conjunctions are puzzle pairs: each first half has one partner. Neither always goes with nor, never with or.

Two rules for correlative conjunctions

Rule 1: Keep it parallel. The words after each part should be the same kind: noun and noun, verb and verb, phrase and phrase.

Not balanced: She is not only smart but also runs fast. (adjective... verb phrase)
Balanced: She is not only smart but also fast. (adjective... adjective)

Rule 2: Make the verb agree.

both...and makes a plural subject: Both Ali and Sam are here.
With either...or and neither...nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it: Either my cousins or my sister is coming. / Either my sister or my cousins are coming.

Worked example

Let's combine with a correlative conjunction

Combine: Leila did not bring her skates. Leila did not bring her helmet.

Both sentences say not. Use neither...nor.
Put the pair right in front of the two things being joined: her skates and her helmet.
Keep it parallel: noun phrase, noun phrase.

Leila brought neither her skates nor her helmet.

Just for fun

French toast has a proper adjective, but in France it's usually called pain perdu, which means lost bread. It was a way to use up stale bread, so the bread was found again, deliciously.

Hands-on activity

Pair-up game

You need: 10 index cards or paper strips, and a pencil.

On 5 cards, write the first halves: both, either, neither, not only, whether.
On the other 5, write the second halves: and, or, nor, but also, or.
Mix them up and match each pair. Check with the lesson.
Take turns with a family member: draw a pair and make up a sentence about your home or neighbourhood, like Neither the cat nor the dog wants to go out in the snow.
Bonus: look at labels in your kitchen and find proper adjectives (Greek yogurt, Italian seasoning). Check that each one has a capital letter.

Your turn

Write the proper adjective: Mexico.

Write the proper adjective: China.

Fix the capitals: I tried korean food at the Festival.

Fill in the partner words: Our team not only won the game ______ scored five goals.

Choose: Neither Jake (or / nor) Ben forgot his lunch.

Choose: Both the lake and the river (is / are) frozen.

Combine with either...or: We could visit the museum. We could visit the zoo.

More practice: warm-up

What does neither...nor mean?

What goes with either?

What goes with both?

Capitalize: a french teacher (a teacher of French).

Is Canadian a proper noun or a proper adjective in a Canadian winter?

More practice: on your own

Choose and explain: Either the students or the teacher (has / have) the key.

Make it parallel: My dog likes both chasing squirrels and to dig holes.

Find the proper adjectives: We watched Inuit throat singers and ate Ukrainian perogies at the Winnipeg festival.

Write a sentence with whether...or about the weather.

Why is Italian capitalized but bread is not, in Italian bread?

Challenge

Combine into one sentence with not only...but also, keeping it parallel: The Rideau Canal is used for skating in winter. It is used for boating in summer.

Choose and explain: Neither my brothers nor my sister (want / wants) to shovel.

Write a sentence with two proper adjectives and one correlative conjunction pair. Label them.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which phrase is capitalized correctly?

What is the proper adjective from Japan?

Which pair is a correlative conjunction?

Which sentence is correct?

Which sentence is parallel?

In Inuit art, what job does Inuit do?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (B3.2, B3.3): The Grade 5 curriculum lists proper adjectives and correlative conjunctions among the parts of speech students should understand and use to communicate clearly. Proper adjectives connect grammar to capitalization; correlative conjunctions introduce the idea of parallel structure and agreement.

How to help at home:

Spot proper adjectives on food labels and menus and check the capitals.
Use correlative pairs in conversation: Would you like either toast or cereal?
When your child writes Both...or or Neither...or, ask: "What's the partner word?"

Common difficulties:

Capitalizing the noun too (Canadian Flag).
Mismatched pairs (neither...or). Neither always goes with nor.
Agreement with either/or. The closest-subject rule is new for most children; even adults find it tricky.
Names of peoples. Always capitalize them, and use names communities use for themselves (Inuit, not older outside terms).