How to Use Either, Neither, Nor and Or

Guest Writer
05 January, 2018

Have you ever had difficulties knowing when to use either and neither? How about nor and
or?

If you have, don't worry, you are not the only one. Even native speakers will sometimes get
things like this confused! When you learn English, it helps to know little grammar tricks that
help you tell the difference between words like these.

Either and neither can be used in several ways: adverbs, determiners, pronouns and
conjunctions.

While 'either' has a positive connotation, 'neither' holds a negative significance. You will
always find them paired up this way: either/or and neither/nor. These are the ways you can
find them being used.
English grammar can be tricky; pay close attention to the rules below

Adverbs

When we find them behaving like adverbs, both either and neither become linking words.

> I don't like spinach. - Neither do I.

> I don't like mushrooms. - No, I don't like them either.

Determiners

In the case of determiners, either and neither are positioned before the noun.
 > The house has a door at either end.

> Neither journalist could finish their articles; there wasn't enough time.

Practice writing a few of these sentences yourself to see how well you grasp the concept

Hand-picked related content: HOW TO TALK ABOUT YOURSELF IN ENGLISH

Pronouns

For all those instances when either and neither behave like pronouns, the structure of the
sentence would be:
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.

> Neither of my arms is strong enough to lift that suitcase.

You can go 'either' left or right when you reach a fork in a road

Conjunction
In all the cases in which we find "either" and "neither" as conjunctions, we also find them
combined with "or" and "nor".

either/or - They are used together to offer a choice between two things

> You can either call me at home or at the office.

> Either mum or dad will come to pick you up.

neither/nor - When they're paired up they negate both parts of a statement.

> Neither the blue one nor the red is available in size 4.

> I will neither call you nor send you a message before midnight.

Has this helped clear things up? If you have any questions, Let us know in the comments!

If you want to take your English education even further, find out more about
Kaplan's English courses today and see how fast your skills improve!

Conjunction Combinations – Both/And,

Either/Or, Neither/Nor, Not Only/But Also
Confusing Words 1 Comment

There are a few different English exams, but for American English, both TOEIC and TOEFL
are the most common. I think either TOEIC or TOEFL can give you a fair assessment of your
English skill, but TOEFL not only tests reading and listening, but also writing and speaking.
Neither luck nor your good looks will help you get a good score on these exams. For that, you
need to study.

For today’s English lesson, we’re going to look at four common conjunction patterns that
often get tested on English exams like TOEFL & TOEIC. Have a look once more at the
paragraph above, and then check today’s lesson.

The combination both/and indicates that the two items are equally presented and included.
The grammar is both A and B:

 I like both chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

 Both Greg and his wife are big Yankee fans.
 We have a lot of time today, so we can both visit the museum and see a movie.

The combination either/or indicates that there is a choice between the two choices, and only
one can be selected:

 You can have either ice cream or cheesecake for dessert, so please chose one.
  Either Jack or Jim will go to the meeting next week.
 We don’t have a lot of time today, so we can either visit the museum or see a movie.

The combination neither/nor indicates that neither of the two choices can be selected. In
other words, neither choice is available:

 You can have neither chocolate nor vanilla ice cream. We have just strawberry left.
 Neither Greg nor his wife are hockey fans.
 We have no free time today, so we can neither visit the museum nor see a movie.

The combination not only/but also is similar to both/and because it shows that both items
presented are included. However, the item after not only is normally something we expect
the speaker to say, whereas the item after but also is often something unexpected:

 I not only like to eat cake and cookies, but I also enjoy baking.
 Greg and his wife are not only big Yankee fans, but they also route for the Rangers.
 Not only is it raining, but it is also supposed to snow later tonight.

Study these sentences, and try to memorize the patterns.

If you know anyone who has trouble with this English language point, why not help them
out! Just share this lesson with them. Thanks for studying today!

Using Complex Subjects

Both/And, Neither/Nor, and Either/Or
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by

Kenneth Beare

Updated September 27, 2018

The forms both/and, neither/nor, and either/or are used to introduce two subjects.

Both Tom and Florence enjoy playing golf.

Neither Alice nor Peter wants to come to the party.
Either Tim or Peter will take care of the problem

With both/and, and neither/nor, both subjects do or feel the same way about something.

Both Sharon and her children live in Fresno.

Neither Rob nor Brad enjoys coffee.

With either/or one of the two subjects does something or feels a certain way.

For example:

Either my brother or my sister will help me with my homework.

Either Frank or Mary came to the meeting.

Verb Conjugation Mistakes

To properly use both/and, neither/nor, and either/or, take two subjects which can change the
conjugation of the verb depending on the placement of the paired subjects. Learn the rules to
avoid one of the most common mistakes in English.

 Both/And

Subjects connected by both/and take the plural conjugation. As both/and refers to two
subjects the plural form of the verb is always used.

Both Alice and Janice attended USC.

Both Jim and Peter are attending the conference in New York this weekend.
Both my wife and my children are sitting on a plane to New York at the moment.

 Either/Or
Either/or is used in sentences in a positive sense meaning "one or the other, this or that, he or
she, etc." Verb conjugation depends on the subject (singular or plural) closest to the
conjugated verb.

Either Peter or the girls need to attend the course. (second subject 'the girls' plural)
Either Jane or Matt is going to visit next weekend. (second subject 'Matt' singular)
Either the students or the teacher is writing on the board at the moment. (second subject 'the
teacher' singular)

 Neither/Nor

Neither/nor is used in sentences in a negative sense meaning "not this one nor the other, not
this nor that, not he nor she, etc.".

Verb conjugation depends on the subject (singular or plural) closest to the conjugated verb.

Neither Frank nor Lilly lives in Eugene. (second subject 'Lilly' singular)
Neither Axel nor my other friends care about their future. (second subject 'other friends'
plural)
Neither his boy nor his girl wants to walk in his footsteps. (second subject 'his girl' singular)

As Objects

The forms both/and, and either/or can also be used as objects of verbs. In this case, there is no
need to conjugate verbs.

I'm going to have both steak and eggs for breakfast.

They moved to either Seattle or Chicago. I can't remember which.
I enjoy both golf and tennis.

Quiz

1. Neither my uncle nor my aunt _____ (be) to Europe before.

2. Both Peter and Susan ______ (work) for a large company.
3. Either the children or their father _____ (watch) TV when I walked into the room.
4. Neither the boys nor the girl _____ (enjoy) working in the garden.
5. Both the students and the teacher _____ (talk) in the classroom at the moment.
6. Either my father or my friends _____ (come) to visit next week.
7. Both Peter and his friend _____ (practice) the martial art of Kung Fu.
8. Neither Shelly nor Dan _____ (live) in San Diego for a long time.

Answers

1. has been - Use the singular form because 'aunt' is the closest to the conjugated verb.

1. work - Always use the plural form with both/and.

2. was watching - Use the singular form in the past continuous to show interrupted action of
the closest subject 'their father'.
3. enjoys - Use the singular form for 'the girl' which is closest to the verb.
4. are talking - Always use the plural form for both/and.
5. are coming - Use the plural form due to the plural subject 'my friends' with either/or.
6. practice - Always use the plural form with both/and.
7. has lived - Use the singular form of the present perfect for the closest subject 'Dan'.