As Well As | Synonym, Meaning & Examples
As well as is an expression that means “in addition to.” It’s used as a conjunction or preposition to connect two parts of a sentence, usually placing emphasis on the one that comes before it. Synonyms of “as well as” include “along with,” “besides,” and “plus.”
Examples: As well as in a sentenceIt’s important to consider the risks as well as the rewards.
As well as being delicious, coconut water offers a number of health benefits.
This chapter explains how the model was developed, as well as reviewing related literature.
NoteIt’s also important to distinguish between “good” and “well” in all contexts and to know when to use a comma before “as well as.”
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As well as vs. and
The most common mistake that people make when using as well as is to treat it as interchangeable with the conjunction and. There are some important contexts in which and can never be replaced with as well as.
First, a list of three or more items always includes and before the final item, not as well as. If you do really want to place less emphasis on the final item, use and before the previous item and as well as after it:
- Dogs, cats, birds,
as well as
hamsters are common household pets. - Dogs, cats, birds,
and
hamsters are common household pets. - Dogs, cats,
and
birds,as well as
hamsters, are common household pets.
Second, in the expression “both … and …” you can’t replace the and with as well as. Stick to the usual phrasing:
-
Both
dogs
as well as
cats are beloved household pets.
-
Both
dogs
and
cats are beloved household pets.
In other contexts, both are valid options, but the choice can alter the meaning and emphasis of your sentence:
- And simply connects two things without placing special emphasis on either of them.
- As well as de-emphasizes whatever comes after it, suggesting that it’s less important than the other part of the sentence.
Examples: As well as vs. andWatch out for spelling errors and misplaced punctuation. [no special emphasis]
Watch out for spelling errors as well as misplaced punctuation. [emphasis on spelling errors]
John and Mary have raised objections to the policy. [no special emphasis]
John, as well as Mary, has raised objections to the policy. [emphasis on John]
Subject-verb agreement with “as well as”
The use of as well as can sometimes result in confusion regarding subject-verb agreement.
When a compound subject such as “Boyan and Puja” is used, the verb that follows it is plural, as in the sentence “Boyan and Puja are coming to the party.” When as well as is used instead, the second noun or pronoun must be separated from the rest of the sentence with commas (or em dashes or parentheses).
Because of this, the phrase beginning with as well as is no longer considered part of the subject. The subject therefore requires a singular verb form instead:
-
Boyan as well as Puja
are coming to the party.
-
Boyan
, as well as Puja,
are
coming to the party.
-
Boyan
, as well as Puja,
is
coming to the party.
Using “as well as” to connect verbs
When as well as is used to connect two verbs, people are often confused about how to conjugate the second verb and whether it needs a new subject.
When as well as is preceded by a comma (i.e., it introduces a subordinate clause), the correct approach is normally to use the present participle (“-ing” form) of the second verb, without repeating the subject.
- Maya cycles daily, as well as
she swims
at the weekend.
- Maya cycles daily, as well as
swims
at the weekend.
- Maya cycles daily, as well as
swimming
at the weekend.
When as well as is not preceded by a comma (i.e., it doesn’t introduce a new clause), the same conjugation is commonly used for both verbs, just as it would be if joining the verbs with and. In such cases, we recommend just using and instead, as it always reads more smoothly.
- We sell houses
as well as rent
them out.
- We sell houses
and rent
them out.
However, when the first verb is a “to” infinitive, the second verb should also be an infinitive (typically without repeating “to”).
- I want
to swim
as well as
sunbathe
at the beach.
When “as well as” means something else
The meaning of as well as discussed in all the previous sections is by far the most common meaning in current usage, but it is idiomatic (it represents a special usage of the words involved that is not exactly literal).
The words as well as can also be used in a more literal way to introduce a comparison. Consider the difference in meaning between the idiomatic and literal examples of the phrase below.
Examples: Idiomatic vs. literal usage of “as well as”I dance,
as well as
singing. [I do both activities.]
I dance as well as I sing. [I do both activities equally well.]
Pierre speaks Spanish as well as Italian. [He speaks both languages to some extent.]
Pierre speak Spanish as well as he speaks Italian. [He’s equally fluent in both languages.]
Worksheet: As well as vs. and
You can test your understanding of the difference between “as well as” and “and” with the worksheet below. Fill in either “as well as” or “and” in each sentence.
- I used to play tennis regularly, _______ jogging.
- John goes to church on Sunday morning, _____ he spends the afternoon at the library.
- We’ve spoken to Laura, Siobhan, _____ Adaline.
- The religion of Islam, _____ Hinduism _____ Buddhism, has shaped the history of India.
- Both Dutch _____ English are West Germanic languages.
- I used to play tennis regularly, as well as jogging.
- The use of the present participle “jogging” here indicates that “as well as” is needed.
- John goes to church on Sunday morning, and he spends the afternoon at the library.
- “And” must be used here, because “as well as” can’t introduce a clause starting with “he spends.”
- We’ve spoken to Laura, Siobhan, and Adaline.
- “And” must be used before the final item in a list of three or more.
- The religion of Islam, as well as Hinduism and Buddhism, has shaped the history of India.
- “As well as” is used here to indicate that the statement about Islam is the main point of the sentence. “And” is used to connect Hinduism and Buddhism without placing any special emphasis on either.
- Both Dutch and English are West Germanic languages.
- Here, “and” must be used in combination with “both.”
Other interesting language articles
If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, common mistakes, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.
Frequently asked questions about “as well as”
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