Understanding Either … Or and Neither … Nor

Understanding Either †¦ Or and Neither †¦ Nor Understanding â€Å"Either Or† and â€Å"Neither Nor† Understanding â€Å"Either Or† and â€Å"Neither Nor† By Ali Hale If you’re presenting two alternatives, you’ll often use an â€Å"either or† or a â€Å"neither nor† construction. Here’s how those work: You can choose either cereal or toast for your breakfast. My friend’s car is neither green nor brown. Either is used in the affirmative sense, when you’re presenting possibilities that are both true or valid. Neither is used in the negative sense, when you’re presenting things that aren’t true or valid. So far, so straightforward – but you might have some questions about using â€Å"either or† and â€Å"neither nor† correctly. What About â€Å"Neither Or†? You may well have come across sentences like these: I’m neither angry or upset. This isn’t grammatically correct. The sentence should be rewritten as I’m neither angry nor upset. However, using â€Å"neither nor† can sound unduly formal or even a little archaic. If you want to avoid that, consider rewriting the sentence (e.g. â€Å"I’m not angry and I’m not upset.†) Can You Use â€Å"Either Or † and â€Å"Neither Nor† With More That Two Items? You might wonder whether sentences like these are permissible: She will have to choose either Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. There is neither bread, milk, nor jam. Grammarians differ on this point, but there’s a long history of both â€Å"either or† and â€Å"neither nor† being used for three or more items. If you’re writing for a particularly formal publication, though, you might want to stick to just two items when you’re using â€Å"either or† or â€Å"neither nor†. Some Additional Rules for â€Å"Either Or†Ã‚   and â€Å"Neither Nor† It can be tricky to figure out verb agreement when you’re using these constructions. Here’s what you need to know: Use a Singular Verb if Both Elements Are Singular If the alternatives presented are both singular, then use a singular verb, like this: Either James or Mary has hidden the sweets. Neither the van nor the car is fast enough. Use a Plural Verb if One (or Both) Elements Are Plural If one or both of the alternatives are plural, use a plural verb: Either the boys or the girls have hidden the sweets. Neither the van nor the cars are fast enough. Omit â€Å"Either† But Not â€Å"Neither† It often makes sense to have a sentence without the word â€Å"either†, such as: James or Mary has hidden the sweets. The boys or the girls have hidden the sweets. However, you can’t omit â€Å"neither† from a sentence – the â€Å"nor† can’t stand on its own. Here are some quick rules of thumb to remember about â€Å"either or† and â€Å"neither nor†: The word either should never be paired with The word neither should never be paired with You can only use nor in a sentence if there’s a neither (Some people say that â€Å"not nor† is also a valid construction, but it’s safer to stick with â€Å"neither†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should KnowTime Words: Era, Epoch, and EonWhen to use "an"