If both elements are singular, then the verb is singular too. Get the grammar girls take on correctly using nor in a sentence. In a negative sentence, if you equally reject two alternatives, you must use not. In all examples below, a and b are the same parts of speech. The book offers friendly tips to write better without grammatical errors. Neither, neither nor and not either english grammar. Grammar girl wasnt very helpful with these subjectcomplement agreement sentences. Neither of my parents speaks speak a foreign language in other words, although native speakers do sometimes use a plural verb after neither of, the use of a singular verb is still the expected form in. Jan 01, 2010 when to use or instead of nor neither and nor are bosom buddies. From the american copy editors society a tricky agreement problem. But if you use neither, then make sure your sentence does not have any other negatives preceding it.
Neither this nor that is the story of an american girl who grew up in pennsylvania after her family immigrated to the u. They objected to either following the book or keeping the central theme. Neither of our cars has enough petrol so we have to take the bus. Eitheror neitheror eithernor neithernor a is the correct answer d is the correct answer test your knowledge 3. So neither the men nor the woman is a good surfer is correct, as is neither the woman nor the men are good surfers. Sep, 2014 this video covers how to use eitheror, neithernor, and bothand. When either word is used as a pronoun and as the subject of a sentence or clauseand its the only subjectit takes a singular verb. Neither is paired with nor and either is paired with or. Neither of and either of are followed by a plural noun or pronoun and a singular or plural verb. Nor, and transitional devices instructions for the teacher this exercise is a supplement to the exercises of in charge 2, unit 2, pages 17 through 20.
If singular subject follows both neither and or the verb may be in the singular or plural form. The writer queried the presence of a plural verb in this example, believing this to be incorrect because neither, being singular, should be followed by a singular verb. Both, either, neither, nor and so english grammar online. My grandpa neither likes nor cares about the technology. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. The verb agrees with the noun that is closer to it. Mignon fogarty born 1967 is a former faculty member in journalism at the university of. Neither his son nor his daughter were at the funeral. If that noun is plural, it is up to the writer and the sense of the sentence to determine whether none takes a singular or a plural verb. Whether you are a grammarphobe seeking guidance, a parent looking for a. It is used in positive structure but the meaning is negative.
John didnt come to the party and peter didnt either. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to real. The girl was neither happy nor sad about her grade. Note how we use the plural word surfers at the end there to keep everything in agreement. Eitheror, neithernor and bothand by shmoop youtube.
Henry holt books are available for special promotions and premiums. Compare your responses to the feedback by clicking the check or check 110 button. This is a free beginner english grammar quiz and esl worksheet. Either and neither, singular or plural the editors blog. The words girl, river, and bridge arent capitalized because they are common nouns. Neither my dad nor my mom wears fashionable clothes. Jun 14, 2009 in a sentence like none were missing, there is an implicit noun that answers the question, none of what. Traditionally correct neither of the boys were eligible for the prize. Neither my mother nor my father went to university. How do these word pairs change the meaning of a sentence.
Either means both, one and neither means not either, none. I have two daughters, their names are phoebe and hannah. The internets grammar girl on the last decades most dramatic change in language. Buy our book smashing grammar 2019 written by the founder of grammar monster, smashing grammar includes a glossary of grammar essentials from apostrophes to zeugma and a chapter on easily confused words from affecteffect to whetherif. Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence. Eitheror neithernor either or used when referring to a choice between two possibilities. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to reallife, entertaining examples. Neither, nor and neither nor english practice learn. When one of the words is used to modify the single subject of a sentence, it takes. In july 2008, holt released fogartys first paperback book, grammar girls quick. You will find the main verb either before or after the infinitive phrase. As the oxford learners dictionary says in its grammar point neither of and either of are followed by a plural noun or pronoun and a singular or plural verb. Neither indicates that the two ideas are linked together. Neither of the restaurants we went was or were expensive.
The ap stylebook, the chicago manual of style, garners modern english usage, the oxford english dictionary, and the american heritage. Neither of my parents speaks speak a foreign language. It used to be that proper grammar and thoughtful wording were the defining factors of a good piece of. Neithernor when two subjects are joined by neithernor or eitheror, choosing the right.
English grammar tips with gymglish, online english lessons. Josseybass books and products are available through most bookstores. Jay had seen neither the snake nor the wasps nest on the next tree, and was. If you prefer to use a negative, then you want to use either. For example, when youre talking about a computer mouse, the plural can be either mice or. If that noun is singular, none takes a singular verb.
In english grammar in use intermediate, unit 88, it is said that after neither of a singular or plural verb is possible. Oct 30, 2007 sentences with neither and either if this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. Neither the teacher, nor the students were happy with the chosen solution. Book recommendations, author interviews, editors picks, and more. Archived from the original pdf on november 20, 2012. Neither of them were there is also possible in a less careful style.
He will neither come here nor send a representative. Neither, neither nor and not either english grammar today uma referencia a gramatica e uso do ingles escrito e falado cambridge dictionary. At languagetips is the marvellous neither of the boys was eligible for the prize. However, when the second negative item is a noun, adjective, or adverb phrase 4, you should use or to continue the negative thought because. Either is used in negative constructions, while neither is used in affirmative constructions. Undaunted by the complicated cultural expectations of an indian muslim girl in the usa, fatima became a role model for her sisters and for many of her friends. Simply take the noun closest to the verb and ensure they agree. Neither my mother, nor my father wants to pay for my holiday.
Tips network, a popular podcaster, and the author of numerous usage books. We can either eat now or after the show its up to you 2. If we have two people or things in mind, we use neither, not. He either keeps the keys himself or leaves them with his wife. But they can also be conjunctions correlative, adjectives, determiners, and even adverbs. Grammar girl presents the ultimate writing guide for students. Nov 22, 20 the rule for neither and either is that any time they are used as the subject of the sentence then the verb must be singular. Complete the sentence with or, nor, eitheror, neithernor or verb agreement. Cats roam outside and often come home very late at night. Neither of the children wants or want to go to bed.
In spoken language, the plural form of the verb is more usual. Grammar girl mignon fogarty on the biggest changes in language. Neither the manager nor his subordinates could give a satisfactory. When using eitheror and neithernor, note the following rules. Everybody knows that neither and nor are bosom buddies. A conjunction and a coordinating conjunction differ in that a conjunction joins grammatically alike subclausal elements, whereas a coordinating conjunction joins grammatically alike clausal elements. Oxford, merriamwebster, american heritage dont directly address this particular case. There were two dresses and not one of them fitted her. The clause and peter didnt either means the same as and neither did peter. The writer queried the presence of a plural verb in this example, believing this to be incorrect because neither, being singular, should be followed by a singular verb in his reply, our editorinchief michael rundell noted that. You cannot mix them, but often the word either is omitted. He didnt sing either of the songs none of these ballpoint pens works. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. The quick answer the pairing neithernor plays a negative role, so take care to avoid an unintended double negative.
Buy grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing quick. I am by no stretch of the imagination a grammarian nor do i have the intention of. Understanding grammar is key to understanding a language. Learn how to use the words so and neither in english. Macmillan dictionaries recently received a query about an example at the entry for the phrase neither nor. Ask them to list any sleep disorders they are aware of, such as snoring, narcolepsy the disorder. In all our examples so far, weve used nor to indicate a negative state that continues after something else negative happens. Neither of the parents understood what the baby was trying to say. Neither of the boys were in the library just now or neither of the boys was in the library just now. Fill in the blanks with so, nor, neither, but, too, or either. Home page for english grammar today on cambridge dictionary. You can use neither of before a determiner my, his, these, the etc. Neither nor used in a sentence in the negative sense when you want to say that two or more things are not true. Neithernor is used when the choice is negative or the person wants to say that more than one thing is not true.
Either or used in a sentence in the affirmative sense when referring to a choice between two possibilities. Learn english with lets talk free english lessons 99,505 views 10. My downvote is because a far more acceptable and conflicting answer was given the last time round, as flagged by tchrist, and this seems not to have been even considered. Someone must fix them first neithernor neitheror eitheror eithernor 2. After neither and either you use a singular verb neither candidate was selected for the job. Which ones were the toughest to capture in an easytoremember tip. How to use nor correctly grammar girl quick and dirty tips. Neither of before a pronoun or a noun with a determiner e. But most people younger than 40 arent even aware that these were. Grammar worksheet either or neither nor either or neither nor use either when you talk about two things or people. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. Janes bag wasnt where she had left it, so nor neither but too either was it anywhere else in the house.
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