If we can use nor without neither and invert the second part of the sentence, can we do the same thing with or. If the subject is singular, the verb has to be singular. As a conjunction, it is used with nor to negate both parts of a statement. No one brought neither forks nor spoons on the camping trip. It is possible to find examples in print or on the web where these words are comparing many alternatives, but this should be avoided whenever possible. You can use these words with a noun both books, neither book etc. Either jacy or myra will help you with your children. Either is always considered singular in a sentence. See more about so, neither and either as short answers. Either refers to any one of the two things or people. He may well be contented who need neither borrow nor flatter. If you found this english grammar about both either neither interesting or useful, let others know about it. So and neither exercise 1 youre having a conversation with jenny.
However, using neither nor can sound unduly formal or even a little archaic. Use a plural verb if one or both elements are plural. In the not only,but also construction, the two items connected must be similiar in kind. It consists of some grammar explanation and four exercises. It is similar to using either at the end of a sentence, although neither is more commonly used, especially in spoken english. He neither attends the class regularly nor learns his lessons.
If a verb is already in the negative then either or is used and not neither nor. So neither the men nor the woman is a good surfer is correct, as is neither the woman nor the men are good surfers. Try our interactive game to practice the difference between both, either and neither. From the american copy editors society a tricky agreement problem. I would like to know when and how we use inversion with nor like the first example.
We use either or for connect things which are the same types, phrases, clauses or words. The public service broadcaster, doordarshan, hasnt been able to live up to expectations that the public service broadcasting model elsewhere. If you found this grammar guide about the difference between so, neither and either useful, let others know. Last of all, neither may be used as an adverb to indicate that two or more ideas, statements or alternatives are incorrect or wont occur. But if the sentence is interpreted that way then it only has a minor punctuation issue, while the use of neither and nor is. Chavez grows neither onions nor garlic in her garden. Nor either or neither nor use either when you talk about two things or people. Using neither nor in english and example sentences. Use eitheror to indicate that there are two possibilitiesalternatives but not both.
Neither is paired with nor and either is paired with or. Combine the following pairs of sentences using eitheror or neither nor. Neither my mother nor my father went to university. Use either when you talk about two things or people. In spoken language, the plural form of the verb is more usual. Powtoon is a free tool that allows you to develop cool animated clips and animated presentations for your website, office meeting, sales pitch, nonprofit fundraiser, product launch, video resume. So neither either differences and use english grammar rules. We use eitheror for connecting things which are the same types, phrases, clauses or words. The proscription against using or, rather than nor, with neither i was neither here or there instead of i was neither here nor there is likewise not absolute, but nor is most common, and in this case i support the restriction.
For all those instances when either and neither behave like pronouns, the structure of the sentence would be. We can use neither on its own in replies when referring to two things that have. May be freely copied for personal or classroom use. As an adjective, it indicates not one or the other, none of the two. Neither nor used in a sentence in the negative sense when you want to say that two or more things are not true. Neither neither is used to show agreement with negative statements. Using both and, either or, neither nor english study here. If you prefer to use a negative, then you want to use either. If you want to avoid that, consider rewriting the sentence e. If both elements are singular, then the verb is singular too. How to use either, neither, or and nor kaplan blog.
He neither ate the cake himself nor allowed others to eat it. In this lesson, we will learn when to use eitheror and when to use neither nor when comparing two choices. If singular subject follows both neither and or the verb may be in the singular or plural form. Can you use either or and neither nor with more that two items. The quick answer the pairing neither nor plays a negative role, so take care to avoid an unintended double negative. Either the boys or the girls have hidden the sweets. Put in so i or neither i, choosing which auxiliary verb you need. More natural than neither his parents nor peter was aware of this. We will also learn about subjectverb agreement when making these comparisons. Use neither for negative sentences when you talk about two things or people.
Add the power of cambridge dictionary to your website using our free search box widgets. Remember, when using either it is always paired with the word or and not nor, and when using neither it is always. When we say none of the options are real or true, we use neither nor. Neither must be preceded by a positive statement as we never use two negative forms in the same sentence. Neither makes a negative statement about two people or things. Try our interactive game to practice the difference between these words at. They have neither red nor white wine at this restaurant. When one of the nouns connected by or or nor is plural, the verb must be plural, and the plural subject must be placed next to the verb. Sometimes you can use either one and sometimes you have to choose either one or the other, but neither one is very difficult.
From a single channel in 1990, to more than 800 channels today, indian television has come a long way. But if you use neither, then make sure your sentence does not have any other negatives preceding it. Neither nor when two subjects are joined by neither nor or eitheror, choosing the right. Wednesday is neither the first nor the last day of the week. The sentence should be rewritten as im neither angry nor upset. Eitheror neither nor either or used when referring to a choice between two possibilities. Neither can be used as conjunction, pronoun, and adjective. Here are some examples so you can better understand in which cases and how you are supposed to use. When they act as pronouns either means one or the other while neither indicates not one or the other both these roads go to rome. Neither the bank nor the credit union will give you a loan. She has neither eaten anything nor slept in two days.
Eitheror and neithernor are correlative conjunctions. Neither my dad nor my mom wears fashionable clothes. So neither nor either too when someone expresses a statement, we can simply use phrases like me neither, neither do i, nor can cats, james doesnt either, so does my dad etc. If one or both of the alternatives are plural, use a plural verb. This structure, neither nor, is used to connect the same kind of word or phrase in the sentence. Neither nor neither nor connects two or more negative alternatives. Note how we use the plural word surfers at the end there to keep everything in agreement. I am neither going to work nor attending my classes today. When using eitheror and neither nor, note the following rules.
I dislike that punctuation and i would either use a semicolon or make it two sentences. The english words either vs neither can cause some problems for native and nonnative speakers of english. For example, you are talking about going out to eat this evening. Whether you are using either or neither, you can only frame two alternativeselements.
What is the correct way to use neither and nor in a. Browse our dictionary apps today and ensure you are never again lost for words. Home page for english grammar today on cambridge dictionary. Listen to all all sentences with pause example sentences. Learn when to use nor instead of or, and how to avoid common mistakes. I can drop you by the bus stop, or i can take you to your home. So do i and neither do i i use so do i to say that a positive sentence is also true for me, and i use neither do i to say that a negative sentence is also true for me. I cannot find the tool, it is neither in the kitchen nor in the bathroom. Jay had seen neither the snake nor the wasps nest on the next tree, and was preparing to stake his tarp in that lessthansafe location.