They are used to introduce alternatives. Omit the word either while presenting more than two alternatives, but you can use the neither-nor construction with more than two to emphasize the negation of all the alternatives. 2. The sound was either a firework or a gunshot. Subject-verb agreement. Neither my friends nor my relatives could help me when we were in the hospital. Or she cooks dinner. Neither / nor - used in a sentence in the negative sense when you want to say that two or more things are not true. Got enough negatives in there for you? Is It OK to End a Sentence with a Preposition? 2. We use either … or for connect things which are the same types, phrases, clauses or words. 11 Example Sentences with Either … or, Neither … nor, Both … and Either … or Either… or is a correlative conjunction. If the pairings "either/or" or "neither/nor" form part of the subject and at least one of the elements is plural, then the verb must be plural too. Either is positive (+). Note that neither is paired with the word nor. Or he asks her to wash them. As conjunctions, either-or and neither-nor can join clauses in a sentence. 1. Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms of Use, Website design and development by Manjit Karve. 2 She speaks neither Spanish nor French. Preview this quiz on Quizizz. Some people use I instead of me in the object position because they have heard that “you and I” is correct, not “you and me.” “You and I” is indeed correct, but only when it is the subject of a sentence, not when it is the object. Linguistic authorities are divided in their opinion: in general, you can use either-or or just or, whichever you prefer. 3. Neither one of them is ready. For example: Neither the blue one nor the red is available in size 4. We can use either...or to emphasise a choice. There is neither bread, milk, nor jam. Examples: (1) “I would like either cookies or popcorn. Neither …nor Either Jack or Jim will go to the meeting next week. I don't like coffee or tea. The phrase “either or” (either…..or) and the phrase “neither nor” (neither…..nor) are called “correlative conjunctions.” Each phrase deals with an alternative of two people or two sets of people within the same sentence. In the object position, use object pronouns like me, him, her, and them. Try an exercise about 'either and neither' here. For example: We can either go to the movies or stay inside and watch Netflix. Either the bikes or the car is getting sold. This is often used to answer someone. Exercise 3. Example Sentences; You can be bothmother andbusiness woman. We can either eat now or after the show - it's up to you. Neither-nor constructions, on the other hand, may be used with more than two possibilities to emphasize the simultaneous negation of all the alternatives presented. (Wrong. Neither-nor vs. either-or: Application as a conjunction. While I instead of me is acceptable in speech, using “I” in the object position is still avoided in formal writing. Also, either is used as a conjunction , adverb , determiner and a pronoun . But either and neither are still singular, even when followed by a prepositional phrase containing a plural object. A false dilemma (sometimes called false dichotomy) is a type of informal, correlative-based fallacy in which a statement falsely claims or assumes an "either/or" situation, when in fact there is at least one additional logically valid option. Use either-or to affirm the one or the other of two alternatives; neither-nor to negate them. NEITHER verb NOR verb But if a sentence already has a negative word like "not," it is more common to use either. In this lesson we will learn to use the phrases 'either... or' and 'neither... nor' correctly in English sentences. Either Way: Whichever of the two given alternatives be the case. 7. Should names of celestial bodies be capitalized? We use cookies to offer you the best experience. either/or, either-or adj adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house." Only one of the two possibilities is … Either Rachel or her sisters were telling a lie. Practice. either, neither. (Either…or is used to refer to two things or people.) Upon application of either or both of the parties, provided the employees be not less than twenty, this board is required to inquire into the cause of the dispute, with the aid of two expert assistants, who shall be nominated by the parties, and to render a decision, which is binding for at least six months upon the parties to the application. 1.Either / or - used in a sentence in the affirmative sense when referring to a choice between two possibilities. You can stay here or come with us. For example: You can either call me at home or the office. Either can be an adverb, in addition to sometimes being a conjunction, adjective, or pronoun. " She said neither yes nor no. " (= this dress is good and also that dress is good.) John or Peter received your message. The newsletter includes useful lessons, competitions and book reviews. The pronoun I goes in the subject position, while me fits in the object position in a sentence. neither…nor gives a negative meaning to verbs. Use the either-or pair to present two alternatives. ; Neither the manager nor his assistant are is here today. In formal texts, use parallel structure across elements of equal importance. Here are some usage examples of either-or and neither-nor from the writings of famous authors. 6. Examples of Correlative Conjunction Pairs. However, when nor join two words or phrases, neither shouldn’t be omitted. She is neither beautiful nor intelligent. Either mum or dad will come to pick you up. Watch out – when using either or neither the verb agrees with the second subject, NOT the first:. – Yeah—me neither. " The answer is neither true nor false. Here are some examples: You can either stay here or come with us. He cooks dinner. 8. Neither of my dresses will do. both/and. It is always considered plural in a sentence. Either January or February is / are a good time to go skiing.? When two alternatives are presented, either can generally be omitted without loss of meaning. Choose the correct version of the following: Signup to our newsletter "English in your Inbox" to receive your monthly fix of English by email. Neither candidate is fit for the job. Examples: (1) “Jack has been to neither Canada nor the United States.” (2) “Jack has been to neither (of the countries).” Either mum or dad will come to pick you up. 9. Corned beef and cabbage is / are a popular Irish dish.? Those that truly sound wrong are the examples with the preposition of (of your daughters, of yours) following either or neither. Don’t omit neither when you use nor to negate each of two alternatives presented in a sentence. (Either…or is used to refer to two things or people.) We use either and neither when talking about two possibilities. If a verb is already in the negative then either …or is used and not neither …nor. neither/nor. 4. (The mother didn’t come and the father didn’t come.) 8. 7 Neither of them came to our party. For example: Neither the lawyer nor the detectives are able to follow the sequence of events. There are quite a few different phrases/idioms that use both either and neither. 3. Either he or she cooks dinner. These are the ways you can find them being used. Here are some examples: You can either stay here or come with us. We use either when there is a choice between the two possibilities. They can be in the subject, object, or complement position in a sentence. Either Rachel or her sisters were telling a lie. Casey Cagle is polling, or some rival candidate considers him the man to beat in the 2018 race for governor. The two elements joined by either-or or neither-nor should be grammatically balanced: “bake either muffins or cupcakes,” not “either bake muffins or cupcakes.”, When nor is used to form the subject of a sentence, the verb used should agree with the part closer to it: “I am,” not “I are.”, In the object position, use object pronouns like “me,” not subject pronouns like “I.”, © 2020 Neha Srivastava. Correlative conjunctions connect elements that correlate to each other.. Subject-verb agreement becomes complicated with some of the correlative conjunctions. The correlative conjunction “either…or” is used to join two positive options. You can always rephrase. Lulu wants either a muffin, a cupcake, or a popsicle. It was a trick question. " Either a large tree or several small bushes goes / go well in this corner of the yard.? Either my brother or my mum look looks after our cat when we’re away on holiday. They are both busy at the moment. either/neither followed by of + noun phrase 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; you can go either way. 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: John: I hate mushrooms. The determiners each, every, every one, anybody, either, neither, no one, nobody and many a should be followed by a singular noun and a singular verb. (NOR) Either … (or) Neither … (nor) Use either when you talk about two things or people. Got enough negatives in there for you? The Caveat. Make sure the alternatives presented are grammatically balanced and parallel in structure. Examples. Whether you use I or me with or and nor depends upon whether you are referring to the subject or the object in a sentence. Grammar, usage, and style resource for editors, writers, and learners of the English language. In other words, when the either/neither phrase comes before the verb, the verb should agree with the second option. You will always find them paired up this way: either/or and neither/nor. Neither/nor – when they are used together, they negate both parts of the statement. It also attracts a singular verb. We can either eat now or after the show - it's up to you.. 2. Grammarians differ on this point, but there’s a long history of both “either … or” and “neither … nor” being used for three or more items. Spesso quando “either ” e “neither ” fungono da congiunzioni, si usano insieme alle parole “or ” e “nor ”. Either-or and neither-nor constructions must be parallel in structure: the two parts joined by or or nor should be grammatically balanced. Neither this nor that. ‘Neither/nor’ is used to disprove both parts of a statement. This book is neither interesting nor useful. Either of us can get the key. Examples: (1) “I would like either cookies or popcorn. " The answer is neither true nor false. See also our Terms of Use. Either you stay or I leave. Grammarians differ on this point, but there’s a long history of both “either … or” and “neither … nor” being used for three or more items. )“I fear neither man nor beast!” Jay proclaimed as Frank stared at the python coiled on the … ; Either my brother or my parents looks look after our cat when we’re away on holiday. First things first:If you are matching either and nor, I hate to break it to you, but you’re doing it wrong.Additionally, nor is generally not used where neither is not also used. Admittedly, subject-verb agreement can sound odd in such sentences. The old woman can neither walk nor talk. > Neither of my arms is strong enough to lift that suitcase. It was a trick question. " (Here the expression many a is followed by a singular noun and a singular verb.) 3 I like neither/both of them. I’m not sure whether his name is Greg or Joe, but, either way, address him as sir. Neither is John. Either this or that. (both of my dresses are not good.) Use an either-or formulation to present two possibilities. Watch out – when using either or neither the verb agrees with the second subject, NOT the first:. Neither Rita nor I am going to eat the cupcakes. Neither…nor If you quote this article, you must link back to this page. Either of my dresses is good. Di seguito i … •You can either come with me now or walk home. Either… or. 1. rather/than. Neither my mother nor my father went to university. Use subject pronouns like I, he, she, and they when an either-or or neither-nor construction is the subject in a sentence. As conjunctions, ‘either’ is always used with ‘or’, and ‘neither’ with ‘nor’. To present a pair of alternatives, you may use either or omit it and simply use or. Neither can also be followed by (one) of + group of two: Neither of them is ready. Either vs Neither Neither Definition and Examples. Both sentences mean that one of them will send the report. We had neither umbrellas nor raincoats with us! She prefers the countryside. That’s enough! You can stay here or come with us. Neither Karachi nor Faisalabad is a clean city. For example, somebody uses false dichotomy when they say, "Stacey spoke out against socialism, therefore she must be a fascist." The word "neither" can also be a pronoun or a determiner. Use subject pronouns like I and they in the subject position, and object pronouns like me and them in the object position in a sentence. Neither my friends nor my relatives could help me when we were in the hospital. Adjectives: Subject + to be c + neither + adjective + nor + ROTS Examples: She is neither ugly nor cruel. The opposite of either… or … is neither… nor …. In this example, Either (or Either one) is the subject and behaves like a singular noun. 1 I haven't seen either of them since last week. In this case, the general rule is that the verb should agree with the closest noun. Neither, on the other hand, is used as a determiner, pronoun and an adverb. Neither you nor I are / am capable of lifting 500 pounds.? Avoid hypercorrection. (3) There is no negative for neither. In most cases 'either' can be omitted. With an either-or or neither-nor construction, the verb used should agree with the part closest to it. Me Either or Me Neither? 9. First things first:If you are matching either and nor, I hate to break it to you, but you’re doing it wrong.Additionally, nor is generally not used where neither is not also used. Neither … (nor) Use either when you talk about two things or people. " They have neither red nor white wine at this restaurant. " The eighth and largest group, which in its enormous numbers was to the others as ninety-nine to one, consisted of men who desired neither peace nor war, neither an advance nor a defensive camp at the Drissa or anywhere else, neither Barclay nor the Emperor, neither Pfuel nor Bennigsen, but only the one most essential thing--as much advantage and pleasure for themselves as possible. Adverbs. For example: Neither the dog nor the cats want to go out in this heat. Franks and beans are / is an easy food to make.? Neither his father nor his uncles are nice to him. John or Peter received your message. Either / or - used in a sentence in the affirmative sense when referring to a choice between two possibilities. B: I don't either. informal (with two choices) o l'uno o l'altro : The issue often is presented as an either/or proposition: either you eagerly accept all technology, or you are behind the times. 6 I don't like either jackets. Per esempio: You can either call me at home or the office. 2. Li troverai spesso accoppiati in questo modo: either/or e neither/nor. … In the following sentence, would you use 'either/or' or 'neither/nor' to fill in the blanks? (1)“Jack has been to neither Canada nor the United States.” (2)“Jack has been to neither (of the countries). Subject-verb agreement. 4 She's both intelligent and witty. Neither makes a negative statement about two people or things. Neither Karachi nor Faisalabad is a clean city. We use it to make negative statements connecting items: We got so wet. Here’s an example:“I fear man nor beast!” Jay proclaimed as Frank stared at the python coiled on the branch over his head. You should neither meet him nor talk to him. B: Me neither. Examples •Neither Mark nor his wife is very tall. Remember, when using either it is always paired with the word or and not nor, and when using neither it is always paired with the word nor and not or. The quantifiers either and neither are a kind of determiner.We use them to talk about possible choices between two people or things.. Here are some examples: Neither Sarah nor Peter was to blame for the mistake. Neither / nor - used in a sentence in the negative sense when you want to say that two or more things are not true. (neither …nor is also used to refer to two things or people). Sarah liked neither Rome nor Paris. She can have either tea or coffee. In informal usage, more than two possibilities are sometimes presented, but this is generally avoided in formal writing. I'm not at home. Either/or and neither/nor. " No one brought neither forks nor … Other English exercises on the same topic : Agreement/Disagreement:Both, so do I, neither do I | All our lessons and exercises They have neither red nor white wine at this restaurant. " We use 'either of + plural noun' and 'neither of + plural noun' before a pronoun or a word like 'this' or 'the' or 'my'. Other correlative conjunctions, which come in pairs, include both-and, not-but, and whether-or. Using Neither… nor in English and Example Sentences; This structure, “neither … nor”, is used to connect the same kind of word or phrase in the sentence. The combination neither/nor indicates that neither of the two choices can be selected. Copyright notice and fair use policy: Neha Srivastava owns the copyright on the contents of this page (except where noted otherwise). 5. We had neither umbrellas nor raincoats with us! Neither goes before singular countable nouns. “Well,” said Joe to Marie, “either you start fearing, or you are camping by yourself.” Once we have understood the usage of … We use it to say ‘not either’ in relation to two things. ; Either my brother or my parents looks look after our cat when we’re away on holiday. Neither Rita nor I are going to eat the cupcakes. Sarah didn't like Rome or Paris. (Wrong. While 'either' has a positive connotation, 'neither' holds a negative significance. It would be incorrect to use an “or” anywhere in that sentence—or to leave out either case of “nor.” “Neither” can appear at the beginning of a sentence as well as the middle. To emphasize that there are numerous alternatives, we sometimes use the word or multiple times in a list, but either is omitted before a list with more than two alternatives. Neither makes a negative statement about two people or things. 8 I want to buy both bags! For example, “Sandy does not play either football or cricket.” Listen to all | All sentences (with pause) Example sentences: " Neither chicken nor steak are available. " In this case, the general rule is that the verb should agree with the closest noun. It means "not one nor the other of two things, i.e., not either." Examples •Either Mark or Samuel will go. Use the either-or and neither-nor pairs to refer to the one or the other of two alternatives. Examples Showing "Either" and "Neither" As Singular Here are some examples showing "either" and "neither" as singular concepts: Either car is available. ‘Either/or’ implies a choice between two things. Here’s an example:“I fear man nor beast!” Jay proclaimed as Frank stared at the python coiled on the branch over his head. _____ Sue _____ Sara will help you with your homework. We use 'not... either' to mean the same thing, but we use normal word order. When we find them behaving like adverbs, both either and neither become linking words. Either-or and neither-nor constructions act as conjunctions: they connect two things with each other. Example sentences: " Neither chicken nor steak are available. " A complication to these rules comes when one choice is singular and the other is plural. Neither dress fitted her. Number of Elements When Using Either or Neither. “Either/or” – si usano insieme per proporre una scelta tra due cose. The restaurant doesn't have fish or vegetarian meals on its menu. " No one brought neither forks nor spoons on the camping trip. " (connecting clauses) The opposite of either… or… is neither… nor…. Or she can have coffee. If you continue to use our site, we will assume you are happy with this. Note how they write with parallel structure: or and nor join grammatically balanced elements. 5. Use the link icon beside the section heading to copy a section link. He neither attends the class regularly nor learns his lessons. All rights reserved. I used to like playing bothfootball andbasketball when I was young. Mentre "either" ha una connotazione positiva, "neither" ha un significato negativo. > I don't like spinach. In the object position, use “me,” not “I.”, The part closest to the verb is singular (“the moon”). This structure, “neither … nor”, is used to connect the same kind of word or phrase in the sentence. Most of the time we want to be grammatically correct. The words or phrases connected by correlative conjunctions are equal, unlike the clauses connected with subordinating conjunctions. (Here, "lawyer" is singular, but "detectives" is plural. Either my brother or my mum look looks after our cat when we’re away on holiday. Examples from literature How to use either-or and neither-nor Use the either-or and neither-nor pairs to refer to the one or the other of two alternatives. Me Neither: Nor do I. either/or. I can’t decide.” (2) “I would like either (of the snacks).” (3) “I don’t want to eat either snack.” Use neither (for negative sentences) when you talk about two things or people. Neither Afghanistan nor Pakistan is a rich country. Object pronouns like me in a compound subject are acceptable in informal usage. Lesson by Tristan, English teacher at EC Malta English school. Let’s see some sentence examples to understand the proper use of ‘neither-nor’ and ‘either-or’. 7. A: I don't like coffee. 1. Using either can emphasize the exclusive nature of the options: you can choose either pizza or cake, but not both. – I don’t want to leave the city tonight. When used as a determiner, either and neither must come before a singular countable noun. End of the free exercise to learn English: Either or/neither nor A free English exercise to learn English. You can have either coffee or tea. Lulu wants a muffin, a cupcake, or a popsicle. So, Too, Neither and Either 'So do I' and 'neither do I' (Download this explanation in PDF here). such/that. Using Either and Neither. You can opt for either the red or the yellow dress. Traduzioni in contesto per "neither nor" in inglese-italiano da Reverso Context: neither fish nor fowl Lulu ate neither the cupcake nor the muffin. Neither of us has any money. Neither can be pronounced /ˈnaɪðə (r)/ or /ˈni:ðə (r)/. Adjectives: Subject + to be c + neither + adjective + nor + ROTS Examples: She is neither ugly nor cruel. 1. Prima di tutto, either e neither possono essere utilizzati come avverbi, determinanti, pronomi e congiunzioni. In other words, neither choice is available: You can have neither chocolate nor vanilla ice cream. When or or nor joins two parts of a subject, the verb that follows should agree with the part closest to it. Neither one of us has any money. For a more in-depth discussion, see this article on which pronouns to use in compound subjects. Confusing Prepositions: Differences and Usage Examples, 29 Companies That Hire Freelance Editors and Proofreaders, Major Style Manuals for Editors and Writers, which pronouns to use in compound subjects. In other words, when the either/neither phrase comes before the verb, the verb should agree with the second option. Neither our families nor our friends know that we are getting married! 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. Study the following pairs of sentences given below. Either-or affirms each of two alternatives, while neither-nor simultaneously negates them. For example, “Neither the man nor the woman is a good surfer” is nice and balanced. It means "one OR the other" (of two). 5. Neither, neither … nor and not … either - English Grammar Today - una guida di riferimento alla grammatica e all'uso dell'inglese parlato e scritto - Cambridge Dictionary 4. ; Neither the manager nor his assistant are is here today. With more than two alternatives, omit either and simply use or before the final element. He washes the clothes himself. Me: So do I … Pakistan is neither rich nor a modern country. She can have tea. Sentence Examples of Either-or and Neither-nor. It was either John or Peter who received your message. We use it to make negative statements connecting items: We got so wet. •You can either call me at home or the office. NOTE:Eitherand neithercan also come at … )“I fear neither man nor beast!” Jay proclaimed as Frank stared at the python coiled on the … •Neither my friends nor … A common grammatical mistake that occurs when using the correlative conjunction “neither…or” is subject-verb agreement. Such constructions can also occur in relative clauses or form adjectival phrases that modify a noun. It usually refers to two options, both of which are possible. Neither also most often refers to two options, of which both are not possible.. You can have neither coffee nor tea, because we ran out of both this morning. Use “is” instead of “are.”. Neither parent came to meet the teacher. either. She said neither yes nor no. " A: I don't like coffee. Either John or Peter received your message. Sarah didn't like either Rome or Paris. Either-or affirms each of two alternatives, while neither-nor simultaneously negates them. Either-or and neither-nor are called correlative conjunctions. 6. Let's practice. Most people chose this as the best definition of neither: Not either; not in either... See the dictionary meaning, pronunciation, and sentence examples. This rule does not apply to the correlative pairs Either…or and Neither…nor, which are discussed in the next section. In this lesson we will learn to use the phrases 'either... or' and 'neither... nor' correctly in English sentences. Read more in this article on verb agreement with compound subjects. A: I don't like coffee. Whether you are using either or neither, you can only frame two alternatives/elements. It was either John or Peter who received your message. BothAlice andSusan have to comply with the rules. In this lesson, learn how to use the phrases EITHER...OR and NEITHER ...NOR correctly in English sentences. Many a man has lost his life at sea. B: Neither do I. You can eithercall me at home orthe office. In an informal style we can use 'me neither'. 5 Neither of them is married. You don’t have to avoid using a preposition at the end of a sentence. He is neither nice nor intelligent. If you’re writing for a particularly formal publication, though, you might want to stick to just two items when you’re using “either … or” or “neither … nor”. In most cases 'either' can be omitted. Parallel structure brings balance to a sentence and improves readability. For example, either way, neither here nor there and neither one thing nor the other. She has neither eaten anything nor slept in two days. Either Lt. Gov. Either…or and neither…nor are correlative conjunctions. It requires the singular verb is.. Using Both and, Either or, Neither nor in english; Using Both … and in English and Example Sentences; Both … and refers to two things or people together. Either I drive to the airport or I get a taxi. Either the tourists have the tickets, or the guide does. Either John or Peter received your message. We don’t have a lot of time today, so we can either visit the museum or see a movie.