What Does "together with" Mean?
- Grammatical function: "Together with" is a complex preposition used to express addition or accompaniment. It introduces supplementary information or indicates that two or more entities are performing an action or being considered simultaneously.
- Typical sentence position: It most frequently appears in the medial position (often as a parenthetical insertion) or the initial position to set the context. It is less common but possible in the final position.
- Register: It ranges from neutral to formal. It is a staple in academic, legal, and journalistic writing, though it also appears in standard professional speech.
How to Use It
- Syntactic patterns: It is followed by a noun phrase (the object of the preposition). It can be preceded by a subject noun, a verb, or it can start a sentence to modify the entire clause.
- Punctuation rules: When used medially to add non-essential information, it is typically set off by commas (e.g., "The CEO, together with the board, decided..."). When starting a sentence, a comma usually follows the introductory phrase.
- Grammatical flexibility: It is highly mobile. It can be moved to the beginning of a sentence for emphasis or placed after a verb to show collaboration. However, it cannot be easily negated (one does not say "not together with"); instead, "without" or "excluding" is used.
- What sounds unnatural: Using it to link two subjects and then using a plural verb is the most frequent stylistic error. It also sounds redundant when used immediately after the word "both."
Real-World Examples
These examples are sourced from together with on Ludwig.guru.
"Competence together with compassion." — independent.co.uk
"Lionsgate, which, together with "W"." — newyorker.com
"We want to work together with Greece." — independent.co.uk
"My wheelchair is held together with clips." — independent.co.uk
"Together with (5.19)." — biomedcentral.com
Similar Phrases and Alternatives
| Phrase |
Context |
| along with |
Very similar; slightly more common in casual or neutral speech. |
| in addition to |
More formal; emphasizes the act of adding a new element to a list. |
| as well as |
Used to mention something extra that is also important. |
| coupled with |
Highlights a strong connection or causal link between two factors. |
| alongside |
Suggests physical proximity or simultaneous action in professional contexts. |
| and |
The simplest alternative; unlike "together with," it creates a plural subject. |
Common Mistakes
- Subject-Verb Agreement: Learners often mistakenly treat it as a pluralizing conjunction, incorrectly using a plural verb when the grammatical subject is singular (e.g., 'The manager together with his staff are coming'). The correct form is 'The manager, together with his staff, is coming.'
- Punctuation Neglect: Failing to use commas when the phrase is used as a parenthetical aside can lead to "garden path" sentences that confuse the reader.
- Redundancy: Using "together with" alongside words like "simultaneously" or "both" can sometimes create tautologies in formal writing.
Quick-Reference Summary
| Expression |
Function |
Register |
Typical Position |
| together with |
Addition / Accompaniment |
Neutral to Formal |
Initial or Medial |
FAQs
Can together with appear at the start of a sentence or only in the middle?
The expression together with is grammatically flexible and can appear in both sentence-initial and mid-clause positions. When it starts a sentence, it often serves to link the current statement to a previous point or a specific reference, such as a formula or a person.
What is the difference between together with and the conjunction and?
While both terms imply addition, and is a coordinating conjunction that creates a compound plural subject, whereas together with is a prepositional phrase that does not change the number of the subject. Using together with allows a writer to maintain focus on the primary subject while adding secondary information.
Does using together with make the subject of a sentence plural?
No, it does not; learners often mistakenly treat it as a pluralizing conjunction, incorrectly using a plural verb when the grammatical subject is singular. You must ensure the verb agreement matches the primary subject only, as the phrase following together with is considered parenthetical.