Neither vs Nor

The words “neither” and “nor” are often used together in English to connect two negative ideas. “Neither” means “not one nor the other” of two things or people, while “nor” is used after “neither” to continue the negative statement. These words act as a conjunction in a sentence. For example, in the sentence “Neither John nor Mary went to the party,” it means that both John and Mary did not go to the party. This is an example of a conjunction sentence. Essentially, “neither” and “nor” are used to show that two or more options are all being negated. They function as a type of coordinating conjunction in English grammar.

What is the Meaning of neither and nor?

“Neither” and “nor” are used together in English to connect and negate two options. “Neither” means “not one nor the other” of two choices, while “nor” continues this negative statement. For example, “Neither the cat nor the dog is allowed inside” means both the cat and the dog are not allowed inside. Together, they function as a conjunction to show that two or more things are being negated.

Examples of neither and nor

1. Neither Tom nor Jerry showed up for the meeting.
2. She likes neither tea nor coffee.
3. Neither the book nor the movie was interesting.
4. Neither John nor his friends are coming.
5. The car has neither fuel nor battery charge.
6. Neither the teacher nor the students understood the problem.
7. He wants neither fame nor fortune.
8. Neither the weather nor the traffic is good today.
9. Neither my mother nor my father speaks French.
10. Neither the cat nor the dog is allowed on the furniture.
11. She enjoys neither hiking nor swimming.
12. Neither the company nor the employees are liable for the damage.
13. Neither the cake nor the cookies were eaten.
14. He bought neither the red shirt nor the blue one.
15. Neither the film nor the play received good reviews.
16. She is neither happy nor sad.
17. Neither his brother nor his sister could help him.
18. Neither the laptop nor the tablet is working.
19. Neither Anna nor Maria passed the exam.
20. He is neither a doctor nor a lawyer.
21. The room has neither a window nor a door.
22. Neither the singer nor the band was prepared.
23. She found neither her keys nor her wallet.
24. Neither the mountain nor the river could be seen.
25. He will neither call nor text you.
26. Neither the train nor the bus arrived on time.
27. She wore neither the dress nor the skirt.
28. Neither my friends nor my family support the decision.
29. Neither the pen nor the pencil writes well.
30. He is neither at home nor at work.
31. Neither the teacher nor the student was satisfied.
32. She bought neither fruits nor vegetables.
33. Neither his jokes nor his stories are funny.
34. Neither the singer nor the actor attended the event.
35. He likes neither cats nor dogs.
36. Neither the project nor the deadline was discussed.
37. She is neither too young nor too old for the job.
38. Neither his experience nor his skills are relevant here.
39. Neither the plane nor the helicopter could take off.
40. He neither confirmed nor denied the rumors.
41. Neither the beach nor the mountains are nearby.
42. Neither the soup nor the salad was served hot.
43. He will neither sing nor dance at the party.
44. Neither the car nor the bike belongs to him.
45. Neither the manager nor the employees are aware of the issue.
46. She can neither read nor write Chinese.
47. Neither the movie nor the book tells the full story.
48. Neither the bread nor the butter was on the table.
49. He saw neither the accident nor the aftermath.
50. Neither his opinion nor his advice matters now.
51. Neither the plan nor the execution was flawless.
52. She enjoys neither reading nor writing in her free time.
53. Neither the computer nor the printer is working today.
54. He likes neither rock nor jazz music.
55. Neither the gym nor the pool is open today.
56. Neither his actions nor his words were appropriate.
57. She ate neither the sandwich nor the salad.
58. Neither the garden nor the yard was maintained.
59. Neither his parents nor his friends supported his decision.
60. Neither the light nor the fan is working in this room.

Rules for Using neither and nor

1. Negative Pairing: “Neither” is always paired with “nor” to connect two negative alternatives. For example, “Neither the manager nor the employees knew about the change.”
2. Subject-Verb Agreement: When “neither” and “nor” are used, the verb should agree with the subject closest to it. For instance, “Neither the teachers nor the principal was present” (verb agrees with “principal”).
3. Avoiding Double Negatives: Do not use “not” with “neither” and “nor” since they already imply negation. Incorrect: “I don’t like neither apples nor oranges.” Correct: “I like neither apples nor oranges.”
4. Parallel Structure: Ensure that the elements following “neither” and “nor” are parallel in structure. For example, “She likes neither reading nor writing” (both gerunds).
5. Compound Subjects: When “neither” is used with “nor” in compound subjects, the sentence remains negative. For example, “Neither rain nor snow could stop us.”

Neither Nor Sentences Exercises with Answers

Exercise 1: Complete the Sentences

Fill in the blanks with the correct usage of “neither” and “nor”.

1. ______ John ______ Mary can attend the meeting tomorrow.
2. I will ______ eat ______ drink until you arrive.
3. She is ______ interested in music ______ art.
4. ______ the teacher ______ the students knew about the surprise test.
5. We have ______ seen ______ heard anything unusual tonight.

Answers:

1. Neither, nor
2. Neither, nor
3. Neither, nor
4. Neither, nor
5. Neither, nor

Exercise 2: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the following sentences using “neither” and “nor”.

1. John doesn’t like spinach. Mary doesn’t like spinach either.
2. The cat didn’t scratch the furniture. The dog didn’t scratch the furniture either.
3. I don’t have time to play video games. I don’t have time to watch TV either.
4. They didn’t go to the party. They didn’t go to the dinner either.
5. She didn’t see the movie. She didn’t read the book either.

Answers:

1. Neither John nor Mary likes spinach.
2. Neither the cat nor the dog scratched the furniture.
3. I have neither the time to play video games nor to watch TV.
4. They went neither to the party nor to the dinner.
5. She neither saw the movie nor read the book.

Exercise 3: Error Identification

Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences.

1. Neither Jack or Jill went up the hill.
2. She neither likes running nor to swim.
3. Neither the boys nor their father were at home.
4. You should neither be late or absent.
5. Neither he nor she are responsible for this mess.

Answers:

1. Neither Jack nor Jill went up the hill.
2. She neither likes running nor swimming.
3. Neither the boys nor their father was at home.
4. You should neither be late nor absent.
5. Neither he nor she is responsible for this mess.

Exercise 4: Sentence Construction

Construct sentences using “neither” and “nor” based on the given prompts.

1. (eat pizza / eat pasta)
2. (go to the gym / go to the pool)
3. (like the movie / like the book)
4. (know the answer / want to guess)
5. (bring the report / send the email)

Answers:

1. I will neither eat pizza nor eat pasta tonight.
2. She decided to neither go to the gym nor go to the pool today.
3. He did neither like the movie nor like the book.
4. They neither know the answer nor want to guess.
5. He neither brought the report nor sent the email.

Use of nor” without neither

“Nor” can be used without “neither” to continue a negative statement that has already been started with another negative word such as “not” or “never.” Here are some examples and exercises to help understand this concept.

Examples of Using “Nor” Without “Neither”

1. He cannot sing, nor can he dance.
2. She didn’t call, nor did she email.
3. The children weren’t in the yard, nor were they in the house.
4. I don’t expect him to apologize, nor do I want him to.
5. We didn’t see the movie, nor did we read the reviews.
6. He doesn’t like chocolate, nor does he like vanilla.
7. They hadn’t visited the museum, nor had they explored the park.
8. She wasn’t interested in the job, nor was she qualified for it.
9. The weather wasn’t warm, nor was it sunny.
10. He can’t drive, nor can he ride a bike.
11. We didn’t finish the project on time, nor did we meet any of our goals.
12. The book wasn’t engaging, nor was it informative.
13. He isn’t a doctor, nor is he a nurse.
14. The dog didn’t bark, nor did it growl.
15. She won’t attend the meeting, nor will she send a representative.

Either vs Neither vs Nor

Aspect	Either	Neither	Nor
Definition	One or the other of two	Not one nor the other of two	Used after “neither” to introduce the second negative option
Usage	Used to present two alternatives	Used to negate both alternatives	Used in conjunction with “neither”
Example	“You can have either tea or coffee.”	“I want neither tea nor coffee.”	“I want neither tea nor coffee.”
Sentence Role	Acts as a determiner, pronoun, or conjunction	Acts as a determiner or pronoun	Acts as a conjunction
Negation	Does not imply negation	Implies negation of both options	Continues the negation introduced by “neither”
Pairs With	Often paired with “or” (either… or…)	Always paired with “nor” (neither… nor…)	Always follows “neither”
Verb Agreement	Verb agrees with the subject closest to it	Verb agrees with the subject closest to it	Verb agrees with the subject closest to it
Common Mistake	Using “either” alone to imply both options	Using “neither” with “not” (double negative)	Using “nor” without “neither”

Tips for Using “Neither” and “Nor”

1. Pairing Rule: Always use “neither” with “nor” to connect two negative options. For example, “Neither the book nor the movie was interesting.”
2. Verb Agreement: Ensure the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For instance, “Neither the students nor the teacher was ready” (verb agrees with “teacher”).
3. Avoid Double Negatives: Do not use “not” with “neither” and “nor” since they already imply negation. Incorrect: “I don’t want neither tea nor coffee.” Correct: “I want neither tea nor coffee.”
4. Parallel Structure: Use parallel structure for elements connected by “neither” and “nor”. For example, “She likes neither swimming nor running” (both gerunds).
5. Emphasizing Negation: Use “neither” and “nor” to emphasize that both options are negated. For example, “Neither the rain nor the snow can stop us.”

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