Using 'As well as' correctly while speaking English. - English Grammar Lesson

Using 'As well as' correctly. - English Grammar Lesson

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In this English Grammar Lesson you will learn how to use the phrase 'As well as' correctly in English.'As well as' is an expression used in grammar to say 'not only, but also'. You are adding more information to an already known fact or a piece of information. Very often people mistake it to be a synonym to 'and'. But this is not true.

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There are certain English Grammar rules we need to follow when we use this expression.

Example 01: John, as well as Mary, wants to leave early.
The above example means not only Mary but also John wants to leave early. A singular verb 'wants' is used as it follows a singular noun 'Mary'.

Example 02: She is greedy as well as dishonest.
Here, the sentence describes her of being not only dishonest, but also greedy.

Example 03: Animals, as well as plants need water to survive.
In this example the 'plants' is a plural noun and so the verb followed by it is 'need' as it is a plural verb.

Example 04:He hurt his arm as well breaking his leg.
Example 05: She draws as well as designing clothes.
In these two examples, we are talking about two action happening 'hurt arm' and 'break leg'.
When we connect two actions with 'as well as', the second action you mention will always come in the gerund form i.e. 'ing' form.
It is incorrect to say: He hurt his arm as well as broke his leg. She draws as well as designs clothes.

Example 06: I have to clean the floors as well as cook food.
In the above example, there is an infinitive 'to clean'. If you use an infinitive before 'as well as', the infinitive after 'as well as' should not be used with 'to'. So, it is incorrect if you say- I have to clean the floors as well as to cook food. Remember, you shoudn't use 'to' followed by a verb after 'as well as' . Simply put the verb followed by 'as well as' without 'to'.