As well as is one of those phrases that gets thrown around a lot. However, not many people use it correctly.
Many people use as well as interchangeably with and; however, this is incorrect. As well as is a conjunction that means “in addition to.”
In this article, we’ll look at the definition of as well as, explain when to use it, and give examples of it in sentences.
As Well As Definition
The phrase as well as means “in addition to.” You can also use as well as when making a comparison.
When used as a conjunction, as well as is used to connect words, clauses, and phrases within a sentence.
- The guitarist enjoyed painting as well as music.
When used as a multi-word preposition, as well as means “in addition to.”
- The bridges, as well as the town, experienced snow.
When used to make comparison, as well as means “with the same proficiency” or “at the same level.”
- Robin would love to speak French as well as Griffin does.
When to Use As Well As
As well as is often used as a synonym for “and,” however, both terms have different meanings. The conjunction «And» suggests that the words, clauses, or phrases it combines are equally important.
Using «and» in a list indicates that everything in the list is equally important. As well as, on the other hand, indicates that more emphasis should be placed on the words that come before it.
Let’s look at the following sentences to better understand.
- Max, Jane, and Stuart want to take part in athletics.
- Phillip, as well as Anne, want to miss the party.
The “and” in the first sentence shows that the three people are equal in their desire take part in athletics.
In the second sentence, as well as shows an emphasis on Phillip instead of Anne. This emphasis is created because “as well as Anne” is an aside, separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.
Using the Correct Tense with As Well As
Always remember that subjects linked by “and” always take a plural verb. On the other hand, when two two subjects are joined by as well as, the verb is singular.
- Correct: Julie, as well as Mark and Sally, was at the park.
- Correct: Julie, Mark, and Sally were at the park.
- Incorrect: Julie, as well as Mark and Sally, were at the park.
Examples of As Well As in Sentences
Here are a few example sentences using the phrase as well as
- She was a woman of extraordinary musical skill as well as a talented photographer.
- The dog needs exercise as well as time playing.
- Simon plays golf just as well as his sister, Ann.
- When planning meals, you need to consider nutritional value as well as appearance and taste.
- The TV as well as the radio, gives us a news report.
- French is spoken in Canada as well as in France.
Conclusion on As Well As
Now you understand how to properly use as well as in your writing. It’s quite common for people to overuse conjunctions like as well as or and in their sentences. Always run your writing through ProWritingAid to check for any unintended repeats.
Have you tried ProWritingAid yet? What are you waiting for? It’s the best tool for making sure your copy is strong, clear, and error-free!
Ashleigh Ferguson is a Copywriter on the ProWritingAid Team. With an affinity for learning new things, you can always count on her to know some random fact. She’s a self-proclaimed ‘Fix-it Felix’ and a newly minted ‘candle lady’.
In academic writing, “as well as” isn’t always the best choice for a conjunction. You might want to come up with a few better options to show that you’re able to stick to formal language. This article will explore some of the best alternatives available.
The preferred synonyms are “and so is/will,” “like,” and “similar to.” These allow you to make a link between two (or more) different situations or clauses. This connection is usually helped with “as well as,” but these three options allow you to use slightly more formal language.
And So Is/Will
“And so is/will” are common replacements for “as well as” in formal writing. You can use almost any verb after “and so” as long as it fits with the sentence. To know which verb works best, you should try to match the verb choice in the first clause.
For example, if you say:
- She is going to help.
Then you have used “is.” Therefore, it makes sense to use “and so is” when you extend the sentence:
- She is going to help, and so is he.
Some other examples might clear things up for you:
- There will be a few options available here, and so will a few of them be disregarded by the people coming to the event.
- There are many new facets here that need applications, and so do the ones that have been left in the dust before.
- I am going to do whatever it takes to complete this task, and so is my supervisor, as we have decided to do it together.
Like
“Like” is a fairly good choice in formal writing. You can use it when you want to show that something is happening alongside another thing. It also allows you to relate two things to each other to show that there’s a profound connection between the two.
- It’s going to happen a lot like the time when it was left out in the open before.
- I know it’s going to take some time, like when it was made clear that there weren’t going to be any new hires.
- We should have thought more about this, like making sure that we knew what was going to come next.
Similar To
“Similar to” is a bit more specific than “as well as.” It is a formal synonym, but it is only used to refer to a common connection that two clauses have with each other. It does not work when used to mean “in addition to” (which “as well as” also does).
- I told you that there were things here we couldn’t contain, similar to how Sarah mentioned those things when you needed help.
- We have completed all of the projects you’ve asked for, similar to the ones that have been sitting on your desk this whole time.
- They’ll be the first ones to get out of here, similar to the speculations that we made about the previous candidates.
Remove The Conjunction
Removing the conjunction is another option that some people like to use. Instead of worrying about “as well as” or any other alternative, you might be better off just using punctuation to separate the clauses.
If you’re not quite sure how that can work, you can refer to this example:
- It was clear that it affected them as well as the other people in the building.
Here, “as well as” is used to link two situations. They exist at the same time, but “as well as” doesn’t necessarily add anything to the writing.
If you want to make it a bit more concise and formal, you can replace it with the following sentence:
- It was clear that it affected them. Other people in the building were affected.
This example shows that a period (and sometimes a comma) can work just as well as using anything like “as well as.” It’s a good option if you’re not sure how to make your academic writing look as formal as possible.
- There have been many different experiments here that worked well. Some experiments did not go so well.
- I have completed these tasks. The ones on this desk have been completed by someone else.
- Some of these symptoms have not been fully tested. There are a few issues that still need discussing.
“As well as” is already suitable in formal writing. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with using it. If you think it flows in your sentence, you should use it.
“As well as” gets a bad reputation because it’s so common informally. Many people think that it should be kept out of academic writing because it is used too much in spoken English. This is not true, and you should not worry about that.
- I’m going to need you to look into this for me, as well as find a reason why we can’t complete some of these other ones.
- The experiments went as well as we could have hoped, as well as finding out a lot more about the things we didn’t expect.
- I know there are some issues to work through, as well as completing some of the final challenges to make everything run smoothly.
In Addition
“In addition” is a good synonym that allows you to share additional information. You can use it as a conjunction to connect two clauses with each other to show that they add further information that you need to discuss.
- She wanted to talk to me about the issues, in addition to the things that the previous owners have already discussed.
- I knew there were some problems here, in addition to the ones that I’d already come across. She told me about loads more.
- The time was finally decided for the event, in addition to the venue that it will all be taking place within.
Additionally
“Additionally” is another good choice. While it’s similar to “in addition,” it is used differently. You should start a new sentence with “additionally” (or place it after a semicolon). A comma should also come after “additionally” to show it’s an introductory clause.
Using “additionally” in this way is very common. It is grammatically correct, and it allows you to add information to whatever you were previously talking about.
- I thought long and hard about what was said. Additionally, I wanted to make sure that I knew what was going to come next.
- There are some qualities that are overlooked. Additionally, some new policies need to be put in place before moving forward.
- The government did not want anybody to know about this. Additionally, there are some serious cover-up schemes taking place.
To Further That
“To further that” is another good choice that allows you to start a new sentence. It allows you to “further” your previous point, which can be useful in academic writing to show that there is more that needs to be discussed.
You should always include a comma after using this one to show that you’ve punctuated it correctly. As above, the period before the phrase and the comma after is very important.
- I have discussed all there is to talk about with these issues. To further that, I believe it’s time that we explore new avenues.
- I’m not going to say more on the matter. To further that, I think it’s better if one of you takes over from me.
- There have been a few times when it could have helped. To further that, it needs to be made more available in the future to help out.
Furthermore
“Furthermore” is another great choice for formal or academic writing. It is a common word used to further your previous ideas, which allows you to elaborate on the things that you’d like to talk about.
The punctuation rules are still apparent here. You can start a new sentence with “furthermore,” as long as it relates to the previous one you were writing.
- There will be more times in the future to try it out. Furthermore, there will be plenty of chances to get some practice in with it.
- We have done all we can to help you. Furthermore, it seems like you are not all that willing to accept our help anymore.
- She should have told him about it. Furthermore, she should have mentioned it to more of us, so we could have helped.
Also
“Also” is an interesting choice that often gets overlooked in formal writing. Many people treat it similarly to “as well as,” meaning that it is an acceptable formal phrase, but people think it does not work well in most written pieces.
“Also” is just as effective in formal writing as “as well as.” It can be used to show additional information or share things that otherwise would have been missed.
- The people of this city need to know the truth. They also need to understand that there are a few things that have to happen.
- I knew there were some issues here that needed addressing. Also, I was made aware of the problems you faced a long time ago.
- We thought about it, but we couldn’t agree. Also, we think there’s not much time left for us to discuss this.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
Using connecting words can get tricky, especially when the terms have nearly the same meaning but very different usages. Such is the case with “and” and “as well as.”
You already know that “and” can connect two nouns and make a plural subject that takes a plural verb. But how does a verb change when you use the connector “as well as”?
When you use the connector “as well as” before the verb in a sentence, you should conjugate the verb according to the subject. If you have a singular noun as the subject of the independent clause – that is, the clause that does not include the phrase “as well as” – use “is” for the verb “to be.” But, if you have a plural noun as the subject of the independent clause, use “are” for the verb “to be.”
Let’s take a deeper look at the rules for the connector “as well as” and check out several examples of these three little words in action!
Is “As Well As” Singular or Plural?
Because we usually use “as well as” as a multi-part preposition or conjunction to give extra information, we need to use the verb form that correctly pairs with the sentence’s main subject.
So, if the main subject of the independent clause is singular, then we use a singular verb. When the main subject is plural, we use a plural verb.
It’s important to remember that you should never place the main subject of the sentence inside the “as well as” noun phrase. You need to look away from “as well as” to find the main subject and correctly choose the main verb that corresponds to the main subject’s number.
Let’s look at a few examples to see that rule come alive. The subject is in purple, and the verb is in red.
- The moon, as well as the stars, is not visible on this cloudy night.
Here, “the moon” is the main subject of the independent clause, so we use the singular verb “is.”
- As well as a giant watermelon, there are three sandwiches in the picnic basket.
Here, “three sandwiches” is the main subject of the independent clause, so we use the plural verb “are.”
- The market is famous for its fish, as well as veggies and fruit.
In this sentence, the prepositional phrase that includes “as well as” falls at the end of the sentence after the independent clause. “The market” is the sentence’s main subject, so we can easily choose “is” as our main verb in this case.
What Does “As Well As” Mean?
“As well as” is a phrase that connects two nouns, verbs, or adjectives. It has a similar meaning to connecting words “and,” “in addition,” and “also” (source). When “as well as” joins two or more things, it appears within a noun phrase as a conjunction. Otherwise, it is a multi-part preposition meaning “in addition to.”
On its own, “as well” is an adverb meaning “in addition,” “also,” or “too” (source). You will find “as well” at the end of a clause.
- We’d love to hang out with you and your husband as well.
Adding “as” on the end of the adverb “as well” creates a connective that can function as a multi-word preposition or a conjunction.
- We’d love to hang out with you as well as your husband.
Even though “as well as” has a meaning similar to “and” in the latter example, the connective operates by different rules. These special grammar rules separate “as well as” from other connecting words and phrases.
For more on the definition and correct usage of the phrase “as well as,” check out our article “Is It Correct to Say “As Well As”?”
Let’s take a look at how to use “as well as” along with some specific examples of when and in which context to use this connective phrase.
How Do You Use “As Well As”?
The connective expression “as well as” often appears after the main subject to connect a noun phrase for extra information. “As well as” can do this as a multi-part preposition or conjunction without impacting the completeness of the sentence. Either way, you can set the noun phrase apart with a comma, end with a comma, or both.
You can use the phrase “as well as” to list extra nouns, verbs, and/or adjectives that apply to the broader context of the sentence. Essentially, you use “as well as” to add information that will add to or clarify the sentence’s independent clause.
Typically, you will use “as well as” as a multi-part preposition or conjunction. Prepositional phrases add information to a sentence adverbially or adjectivally. They are not crucial to the meaning of the sentence.
- Trey invited Janette as well as Ben.
Conjunctions add information by linking equally important information. However, “as well as” indicates that the information it adds is not equal to the meaning of the sentence. It is more like an afterthought (similar to adverbial “as well” in the previous section).
This is why the verb must match the main subject, not the noun following “as well as.” Notice the following sentence:
- The students, as well as the teacher, are tired after a long day of lessons.
Here, we have two nouns that are joined together with “as well as”: “the students” and “the teacher.” One is plural, and one is singular. Yet, we used the plural verb “are” as the main verb in the sentence because the main subject of the sentence (“the students”) is plural.
Here’s an instance where “as well as” connects two adjectives:
- The house is old as well as drafty, so it’s difficult to keep it warm in the winter.
In this example, the phrase “as well as” is a conjunction that joins the two adjectives “old” and “drafty.” It gives extra information and an extra adjective to help modify the noun “the house.”
Finally, let’s have a look at a sentence where “as well as” modifies a verb or action:
- Macey writes as well as her classmates do, and her speaking skills are even better!
Here, we use “as well as” to answer the question, “How well does Macey write?” The phrase “as well as” shows that we’re comparing Macey’s skill or ability with the skills or abilities of her classmates.
When Can You Use “As Well As” With “Is”?
You can use “as well as” with “is” when the main subject is singular (i.e., the noun that comes outside the commas or the noun that doesn’t immediately follow the phrase “as well as”).
We call this rule subject-verb agreement. It means that if you have a singular subject, you need the singular form of the verb, too (source).
To determine if you can use “is,” you should check the subject of the independent clause; this is the main subject of the sentence. The main subject will not be inside the phrase “as well as” introduces.
If the main subject of the sentence is singular, you should use “is” as the correct form of the verb “to be.”
In What Context Can You Use “As Well As” With “Are”?
You can use “as well as” with “are” if the main subject of the sentence is plural.
To find out if you can use “are” in a sentence with “as well as,” see whether the subject of the independent clause is plural or singular.
Remember, the main subject is not inside the “as well as” phrase! Rather, it’s the noun that comes at the beginning of the independent clause before the main verb of the sentence.
If the main subject of the sentence is plural, you should use “are” as the correct form of the verb “to be.”
For a more in-depth look at tricky examples of subject-verb agreement, check out our article “Neither Is or Neither Are: Which Is Correct?”
Using “As Well As” With “Is” in a Full Sentence
We can use “as well as” at the beginning, middle, or end of a full sentence. While the usage rules are pretty much the same in every position, it’s important to pay attention to the position of commas.
Many native English speakers want to use a plural verb with “as well as” because they are thinking of the actual number of people or things referred to rather than grammar rules. In that case, “are” is correct situationally but not grammatically.
Since “as well as” does not add a noun of equal importance to the subject, the number of the verb must match the number of the subject grammatically. Thus, if you wish to give another noun equal importance, simply use “and.”
Otherwise, you may use commas around the “as well as” phrase when the main subject is singular to signal your readers that the phrase and its noun are set apart from the main subject. Unless the phrase comes before the main subject, you are not required to use any commas.
“As Well As” at the Beginning of a Sentence
Here’s an example where we use “as well as” at the beginning of the sentence:
- As well as going to the movies, Kevin enjoys swimming and playing football.
In this example, “as well as” starts a list of three things: 1) going to the movies, 2) swimming, and 3) playing football. All three of these activities form a list of things that Kevin likes to do. We can use “as well as” to show that “going to the cinema” is one of several items on that list. This list is the object of the verb in this sentence.
“As Well As” in the Middle of a Sentence
Now, let’s check out a sentence where we use “as well as” in the middle:
- The glass, as well as the spoon and plate, is dirty.
Here, the noun “the glass” is outside of the “as well as” phrase. This means that “the glass” is the subject of the independent clause; it’s the subject of the sentence. Since it’s only one glass, we use the verb “is” to match the singular subject.
“As Well As” at the End of a Sentence
Finally, let’s have a look at an example where “as well as” comes toward the end of the sentence, after the main verb:
- The baby is happy and satisfied, as well as her parents.
In this instance, you can see how the phrase “as well as” includes a plural noun. However, since the subject of the independent clause is singular, we use the verb “is.”
When Not to Use “As Well As” With “Are”
You shouldn’t use “are” with “as well as” if the main subject is singular.
Check out the sentences below to see correct and incorrect examples of when to use “are” with “as well as.” The main subjects are in purple, and the verbs are in red.
| CORRECT | INCORRECT |
| The employees, as well as the boss, are looking forward to the holiday next week. | The employees, as well as the boss, is looking forward to the holidays next week. |
| As well as the cats, the dog at my house is black. | As well as the cats, the dog at my house are black. |
| The students in the hallway are too loud, as well as the students in the classroom. | The students in the hallway is too loud, as well as the students in the classroom. |
These examples show that the number of subjects within the independent clause indicates whether the verb is singular or plural. In all three instances, that noun was plural, so we used “are.”
For more examples of subject-verb agreement issues, have a look at our article “All Is or All Are: Which Is Correct?”
What Can You Use Instead of “As Well As”?
Several connecting words have a similar meaning to “as well as,” including “and,” “also,” and “in addition (to).”
Of course, all of these words have very different usage rules from “as well as,” so make sure you tweak the grammar and syntax of your sentence to accommodate these synonyms in your writing.
If you want to join two complete sentences of equal importance with a connecting word, you can use “and.” When adding another noun of equal importance, you may use “and” or “and also.”
- Let’s invite Don as well as John.
- Let’s invite Don and John.
- Let’s invite Don and also John.
You can use “in addition (to)” in place of prepositional “as well as.” This will add extra information, but it will not be equally important to the sentence’s main clause.
- Let’s invite Don in addition to John.
“As Well As” as a Comparative
In addition to its typical role as a connector, the phrase “as well as” is also an adverbial phrase that compares two actions. You can also use “as well as” when you compare the skills or outcomes of two different people or events.
For example, if you want to say that your friend Mary is great at cooking, you can compare her skills to those of a professional by saying, “Mary cooks as well as a celebrity chef!” Here, you are saying that her skills are just as good as the skills of a celebrity chef.
Or, you can rave about your cousin Bob’s concert by saying, “Bob played the song as well as the original artist!” This means that you enjoyed his cover performance as much as you’d enjoy a performance from the original band.
This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.
You’ll notice that we use “as well as” to describe an action or completed event. In our examples, we used the verbs “to cook” and “to play.” You can use “as well as” to compare one person’s actions to those of another.
Final Thoughts
You can use the connecting phrase “as well as” to build a list of things, activities, or descriptions. The term “as well as” usually appears after a sentence’s main subject to add extra information, but it can occur in the middle or at the end of a sentence as well.
To determine whether you should use “is” or “are” with the phrase “as well as,” you should look for the main subject of the sentence’s independent clause. Do not look at the noun that follows “as well as”! If the main subject is singular, use “is”; if it is plural, use “are.”
Now, you, as well as I, will use “as well as” correctly!
Is This a Simple Comparison?
Ask yourself the question, “Is this a simple comparison?” If the answer is yes, you’ve sidestepped a lot of heartache. When you use the phase “as well as” to compare two things, you won’t need a comma.
Let’s look at a few examples:
- Can Becky sing as well as I do?
- He writes as well as Uncle George.
- I play as well as I did ten years ago.
Anytime you use the phrase in a simple comparison, the second “as” acts as a subordinating conjunction. Subordinating conjunctions never require commas when they appear in the middle of a sentence. That’s what makes them subordinate. Luckily, you’ll always be using “as well as” in the middle of a sentence. It would be very strange to say, “As well as I did ten years ago, I play.” So, whenever you see “as well as” used in a comparison, you know that you can leave out the commas.
Are You Replacing “In Addition To”?
When you use “as well as” to replace “in addition to,” you’ve got a phrasal preposition on your hands. Sometimes you’ll need a comma with this part of speech and sometimes you won’t. The easiest way to figure out whether you need a comma or not is to ask yourself another series of questions. First you’ll need to identify the clause within which the phrase “as well as” appears.
Her mother, as well as her maternal grandmother, uses Google.
In the example above, you’ll be looking at the clause “as well as her maternal grandmother” and evaluating whether that clause is essential to the sentence.
Can I Remove the Clause?
By asking yourself whether you can remove the clause without changing the meaning or structure of the sentence, you’re really asking, “Is this clause restrictive or nonrestrictive?” A restrictive clause is essential to the sentence, whereas a nonrestrictive clause acts as an aside or parenthetical. If you could easily put the clause in parenthesis, it’s likely a nonessential clause.
An example of a common nonrestrictive clause would be an appositive. An appositive comes directly after a noun and renames the word before it without changing the meaning of a sentence.
The common dog, canis lupus familiaris, was one of the first domesticated animals.
In the example above, the appositive phrase “canis lupus familiaris” is nonrestrictive. It is not essential to the structure or meaning of the sentence. All nonrestrictive clauses must be set off at the beginning and the end by commas.
Let’s look at the sentence with “as well as,” where the phrase is used as a preposition within a nonrestrictive clause.
Her mother, as well as her maternal grandmother, uses Google.
What happens when we remove the clause?
Her mother…uses Google.
That sentence remains grammatically viable and complete, so it’s appropriate to include “as well as her maternal grandmother” between two commas.
Is the Clause Essential?
Now, let’s say you wanted to write that sentence differently in order to make sure that the reader understood that the grandmother was essential to the meaning of the sentence.
You might rewrite the sentence this way:
Her mother as well as her maternal grandmother use Google.
Now, in the sentence above, you’re using “as well as” as a coordinating conjunction. When you try to remove the clause with the grandmother, the sentence no longer makes sense.
Her mother… use Google.
No. That doesn’t work. With the new sentence construction, the clause must not be removed from the sentence. Since we’re dealing with a restrictive clause, commas would no longer be appropriate. Again, we’re basically substituting the phrase “as well as” for the coordinating conjunction “and” in this example.
Her mother as well as her maternal grandmother use Google.
Her mother and her maternal grandmother use Google.
To make things a bit more complicated, many grammar experts do not believe that “as well as” can ever be used as a coordinating conjunction, so they would not use it to make a compound subject. Technically, the only accepted coordinating conjunctions are FANBOYS:
F | for
A | and
N | nor
B | but
O | or
Y | yet
S | so
That said, this usage of “as well as” remains relatively common, especially in spoken English. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language explains, “We must conclude that idiomatic as well as can be construed syntactically in two ways, introducing an element that is either coordinate (as in [70i]) or subordinate (as in [ii]). In the former case, we take it to have been reanalysed as a compound coordinator.“
For a speaker of English as a second language, this distinction may sound hopelessly confusing. The important thing to remember is that, because using “as well as” to create a compound subject is considered idiomatic, some people will say that it’s wrong and other people will say that it’s correct.
To be safe, you’d be much better off using the word “and” when you need a coordinating conjunction to connect two grammatical elements of equal status. Everyone agrees on that construction!
Can “As Well As” Replace “And”?
If you are using “as well as” to replace “and,” remember that there are many situations in which such a replacement would be inappropriate. For example, you might use the word “and” to connect two independent clauses and avoid a comma splice.
She loved the water, and he preferred the shore.
To replace the word “and” with “as well as” in a situation like this one would confuse the reader.
Similarly, you might use “and” after a semicolon, especially in a structurally complex sentence. “As well as” would not be appropriate after a semicolon in most cases.
It’s quite common to use “and” in a list. If you use the phrase “as well as” in this context, be sure to treat it differently than “and”. If you would normally use an Oxford comma, you might create the following list:
She loves chips, cookies, donuts, and pie.
If you wanted to use the phrase “as well as” in this list instead, you should use it to mean “in addition to.”
She loves chips, donuts, and cookies, as well as pie.
In the first sentence, we’ve included a serial comma between “donuts” and “and”. Notice that the second example uses both “and” and “as well as,” along with a pair of commas. First, you’d include the serial comma between “donuts” and “cookies,” then you’d add another comma before the nonessential addition of pie.
A Decision for the Writer
With the phrase “as well as,” the writer has the power to emphasize or deemphasize the addition. In the example sentences with the grandmother, the writer must make a choice. Is the grandmother essential to the sentence, or is she extraneous information? Depending on how you construct the sentence, the reader will think about the grandmother very differently.
Let’s take another look at the following sentences:
Her mother, as well as her maternal grandmother, uses Google.
Her mother as well as her maternal grandmother use Google.
Between the two choices above, most linguists would prioritize the first option. The main difference between the two sentences is the inclusion of the grandmother in the compound subject of the second sentence. Who are we talking about? Do we want to emphasize the mother, or are both the mother and the grandmother equally important?
The English language gives us a lot of options. We could treat “as well as” as a phrasal preposition, a coordinating conjunction, or as a string of words with independent functions—adverb, adverb, subordinate conjunction.
Answer the Questions
To decide whether comma usage is appropriate, answer the following questions.
1) Is this a simple comparison?
If the answer is yes, you do not need commas. In a direct comparison, “as well as” acts as three separate words, an adverb, adverb, and subordinate conjunction.
2) Is “as well as” part of a restrictive clause?
If the answer is yes, do not use commas. Usually, if you can substitute “as well as” with “and,” you’re dealing with a restrictive clause.
3) Is “as well as” part of a nonrestrictive clause or a parenthetical statement?
If the answer is yes, you should use commas on either side of the clause. If the phrase appears at the beginning or end of the sentence, you only need one comma to set the phrase apart. For example, if the nonrestrictive clause comes at the beginning of the sentence, the comma use should be placed at the end of the introductory phrase to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
Practice
She studies history as well as finance.
Since you can substitute “and” for “as well as,” no comma is needed.
As well as tuba, he also plays trombone.
Here, you need a comma after the prepositional phrase. It’s not essential to the main clause.
The banker counts as well as he whistles.
In a simple comparison, there’s no need for a comma. The phrase is essential to the meaning of the entire sentence.
They enjoy New York and Boston, as well as Los Angeles.
When you use “as well as” in a list, it’s usually part of a nonessential prepositional phrase that requires the use of a comma. In this case, you only need one comma, since the phrase comes at the end of a sentence.
Additional Resources
For related questions, it can be helpful to refer to a style guide, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, the MLA Handbook 8th Edition, or the APA Style Manual 7th Edition.
For formal writing, such as a research paper or published work, try to avoid using “as well as” as a coordinating conjunction. Since “as well as” singles out one element as being of lesser or greater importance than others, it is most logical to use it as a comparison or a phrasal preposition, rather than a coordinating conjunction.
Sources:
- https://www.dictionary.com/e/how-do-you-use-a-comma/
- https://www.yourdictionary.com/phrasal-preposition
- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/as-well-as
- https://study.com/academy/lesson/as-well-as-meaning-comma-usage-example-sentences.html
- https://www.margieholdscourt.com/as-well-as/
- https://archive.org/stream/TheCambridgeGrammarOfTheEnglishLanguage_201810/The%20Cambridge%20Grammar%20of%20the%20English%20Language_djvu.txt
After considering https://www.lexico.com/definition/as_well_as and https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/as-well-as, I would say that ‘as well as’ is most of the time a preposition, very rarely a conjunction (e.g. second to last example in the Oxford dictionary).
Often ‘as well as’ is used after a noun (the noun which is accompanied by further items stated after ‘as well as’). I was wondering if the following four sentences are equally correct and carry the same meaning:
- My work is taken into account by the company as well as James’ and his girlfriend’s work.
- My work is taken into account as well as James’ and his girlfriend’s work by the company.
- My work as well as James’ and his girlfriend’s work is taken into account by the company.
- My work, as well as James’ and his girlfriend’s work, is taken into account by the company
I am pretty sure that 3-4 are correct. In 4, ‘as well as’ is just additional information that could be put in parentheses. I am not that sure about 1-2. As regards 1, I think the reader understands that ‘as well as’ does not produce further items for ‘company’ since ‘work’ cannot accompany ‘company’. I would also be keen to know if your opinion would change if I leave ‘by the company’ out and 1-2 would become:
- My work is taken into account as well as James and his girlfriend’s work.