He wasn’t wearing either a shirt or a coat. You don't always need to combine "either" and "neither" with "or" or "nor." Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! 4. – Либо мама, либо папа приедет за тобой. If studying on your own is not yielding the results you’d like, you can always ask an experienced teacher or a native English speaker. neither ... nor synonyms, neither ... nor pronunciation, neither ... nor translation, English dictionary definition of neither ... nor. 7. Either mum or dad will come to pick you up. ), they are placed before the noun. Treat a pairing like either/or or neither/nor as singular if the elements are singular, but treat the pairing as plural if one of the elements is plural. We can also use 'neither + noun + nor + noun'. 12. Neither will the workers go off strike, nor negotiate until they receive a higher pay. You should focus on not having grammatical errors or at least, typographical errors when writing about this subject. I don’t like either Stephen or Peter. Either he or she cooks dinner. Either coffee or tea is fine. has a negative connotation. Neither is also singular. Neither the forwards nor the scrumhalf, all of whom were within 10 metres of the tackle, nor the crowd appealed for a foul. Neither, on the other hand, is used as a determiner, pronoun and an adverb. end. For example, they can be used as adverbs, determiners, pronouns or conjunctions. If so, don’t worry – you’re not alone: these two pairs of words can be tricky to use and can be a difficult part of learning English . As we mentioned above, there are 4 general ways that these terms are used, and we’ll go through all of them. Is… or, neither… correlative coordinators (Huddleston 15 2.3) Nor… “don`t press one or the other.” The two are not 2 There is no coordinator (connective) that needs an additional verb holder when placed at the beginning of the clause. He will neither come here nor send a representative. As a pronoun, it indicates not one or the other. Just as “either” can stand by itself as a pronoun, so can “neither.” Neither of the desserts seemed very appealing. OR I like neither Stephen nor Peter. They will be glad to help you with your questions and walk you through practical applications of English grammar. Either - neither - both: worksheets pdf, handouts, printable exercises. When they act as pronouns, either means “one or the other,” while neither means “not one or the other.”. Often when either and neither are used as conjunctions, they are used together with the words or and nor. I like neither coffee nor … Example Sentences. Or they can be part of a two-part conjunction (either … or, neither … nor) joining two or more subjects. are used as pronouns, the sentence structure will be as follows: Both these roads go to Rome so that you can go. 1. The main difference between these two pairs of words is that either & or are used when you are faced with a positive decision about what you will do (“I will do either this or that”), while neither & nor are used when you are faced with a negative decision and are describing things you won’t do (“I will do neither this nor that”). 2. Well, I think she’s either Russian or Polish. The view at the top of mountain was neither spectacular nor very visible. Neither is used in the negative sense, when you’re presenting things that aren’t true or valid. Duolingo vs Babbel: Which should you use to learn a language? Neither / nor 2. either 3. either 4. nor 5. Define neither ... nor. – when they are used together, they negate both parts of the statement. In all instances where either and neither are used as pronouns, the sentence structure will be as follows: After either/neither comes of + noun phrase. It can be tricky to figure out verb agreement when you’re using these constructions. Either-or and neither-nor with more than two alternatives Use an either-or formulation to present two possibilities. Just as “either” can stand by itself as a pronoun, so can “neither.” Neither of the desserts seemed very appealing. Some Additional Rules for “Either … Or” and “Neither … Nor” It can be tricky to figure … Boost your business English skills in 6 days. She prefers the countryside. There is a different convention called the Proximity Rule. Neither 9. Define neither ... nor. Either is used in the affirmative sense, when you’re presenting possibilities that are both true or valid. He wasn’t wearing either a shirt or a coat. Other English exercises on the same topic : Agreement/Disagreement:Both, so do I, neither do I | All our lessons and exercises If so, don’t worry – you’re not alone: these two pairs of words can be tricky to use and can be a difficult part of, can be used in various ways. She will buy either some apples or some oranges. ''Neither, nor'' are the opposite of ''both, and'' but the verb must be positive. Huddleston and Pullum give these examples: “either Kim, Pat, or Alex” and “neither kind, handsome, nor rich.” Standard dictionaries generally accept the use of “either” or “neither” to introduce a series of more than two items. (Wrong. They can either have breakfast or have a shower. Neither / nor 2. either 3. either 4. nor 5. We could use either blue paint or red paint. Either he or his wife may attend the function. She will buy either some apples or some oranges. 6. Here are some quick rules of thumb to remember about “either … or” and “neither … nor”: Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Hello, everyone! Pronouns Follow "either" or "neither" with the word "of" and a noun phrase. Neither can be used as conjunction, pronoun, and adjective. In this lesson, learn how to use the phrases EITHER...OR and NEITHER ...NOR correctly in English sentences. 7. Neither parent came to meet the teacher. )“I fear neither man nor beast!” Jay proclaimed as Frank stared at the python coiled on the … Either coffee or tea is fine. has a positive connotation (adding an appraisal to the primary meaning). I feel that “and neither” in a “not… and neither” statement, serves the same purpose as “nor” in a “neither… nor” statement, and so could fit in, similarly to how one could say “Neither did he run nor walk, and neither did he ride his bike” as an alternate to “Neither did he run, walk, nor ride his bike”. Neither / nor 12. either / or 13. When these words function as adverbs, then both either and neither act as connecting words. 1. Neither allows us to make a negative statement about two people or things at the same time. [sing.sing.] This tells us about two negative ideas, but it's quite formal. Subject/verb agreement can be confusing when we use either…or or neither…nor couplets.As we’re presenting a noun phrase with multiple objects, it seems natural to use a plural, but the verb may often be in the singular.This depends on the nouns included; the option between two (either one or the other) does not create a plural on its own.Here’s why. Free grammar resources online. both, either, neither – grammar chart . 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. Unlike an adjective, they do not tell us about the properties of the object, but merely indicate whether a known or unknown object is being spoken, all or a part of it, or indicate its quantity or its absence. So far, so straightforward – but you might have some questions about using “either … or” and “neither … nor” correctly. ), they are placed before the noun. In informal usage, more than two possibilities are sometimes presented, but this is generally avoided in formal writing. I am neither a conservative nor a liberal. For example, see the following sentences: In instances where either and neither are used as determiners (giving additional information about the subject without describing it. John didn’t pass the test, and Peter didn’t either. Either and neither are masters of disguise! Let’s look at how to use these words in English correctly. Neither can be pronounced /ˈnaɪðə (r)/ or /ˈni:ðə (r)/. Neither this nor that. There is a different convention called the Proximity Rule. End of the free exercise to learn English: Either or/neither nor A free English exercise to learn English. Determiners also point to who owns an object or point to the item itself. Can You Use “Either … Or ” and “Neither … Nor” With More ThAT Two Items? Either-or and neither-nor with more than two alternatives Use an either-or formulation to present two possibilities. •You can either call me at home or the office. As an adjective, it indicates not one or the other, none of the two. Get our free English language course and take your career to the next level! We use it to say ‘not either’ in relation to two things. We could use either blue paint or red paint. For example, they can be used as adverbs, determiners, pronouns or conjunctions. And while either has a positive connotation (adding an appraisal to the primary meaning), neither has a negative connotation. (It is quite harsh to mark this as wrong, but grouping three things is an unpopular practice.) Do you still have doubts about how to use these phrases? Neither 10. either 11. You don’t like apples. neither…nor gives a negative meaning to verbs. 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”. Neither 9. You can either play on the computer or watch TV. Mary didn’t turn up and neither did Ruth. Either refers to any one of the two things or people. He will neither come here nor send a representative. The sentence should be rewritten as I’m neither angry nor upset. 8. Either is singular. I don't like coffee or tea. Certified Canadian English tutor with 10 years of experience and a Master's in Applied Linguistics. Neither 14. or 15. either Grammar Note: (From the American Copy Editors Society) A tricky agreement problem: Neither-nor When two subjects are joined by neither-nor or either-or, choosing the right 10. Importance of Reading: Why Reading is Such an Important English Language Skill, Learning English for Business? First of all, either and neither can be used in various ways. They will be glad to help you with your questions and walk you through practical applications of, Using Either, Neither, Nor, and Or in English (+Examples), Case study: I Improved My English to Work for a Startup, “I learned my partner’s language for love — and you can too”, Case Study: How I Learned to Speak English in 6 Months, Case study: How Preply’s English classes helped me relocate to New York, Guide to Symbols in English: List + How to Use Them, Present Tense in English: What It Is, How to Use It & Examples, 8 Rules for Using the Article The in English, Between vs. Now, I'm calmer when I take part in large meetings with other managers ... Have you had difficulty using either/neither and or/nor? Neither / nor 12. either / or 13. 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. How do these word pairs change the meaning of a sentence? Download full-size image from Pinterest We use both, either and neither to talk about two things or people.. both= A and B (the two things or people). An individual learning path is shorter and leads to faster and better results, Learning from your kitchen table? “Either” means “X OR Y” (but not both): “Was either of the drivers hurt in the accident?” “Either John OR Carol can do the job.” Neither 6. or 7. neither / nor 8. of my classmates is strong enough to win this competition. I don’t like either Stephen or Peter. Either/or – used together to offer a choice between two things. Preview this quiz on Quizizz. Treat a pairing like either/or or neither/nor as singular if the elements are singular, but treat the pairing as plural if one of the elements is plural. You can do this by making sure that the verb and the noun that is closest to the verb agree with each other. "Either" and "neither" can … However, using “neither … nor” can sound unduly formal or even a little archaic. I am an English native speaker and love English so much that I studied it at degree level. How to Use Neither. While 'either' has a positive connotation, 'neither' holds a negative significance. 6. Neither the van nor the car is fast enough. Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence. “Either or” vs “Neither nor” Either/or. You can find a tutor here. Either/or and neither/nor. He neither smiled, spoke, nor looked at me. either= A or B (one thing/person or the other thing/person). They can be pronouns; and if so, they are always singular. How to use 'not + or ' but it 's quite formal part. 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