Either / or versus neither / nor

Either/or and neither/nor 1.Either / or - used in a sentence in the affirmative sense when referring to a choice between two possibilities We can either eat now or after the show - it's up to you. 2. Neither / nor - used in a sentence in the negative sense when you want to say that two or more things are not true Neither my mother nor my father went to university. Singular or plural When using either/or and neither/nor, note the following rules: 1. If both elements are singular, then the verb is singular too.

Either the father or the mother has to attend the meeting. (father and mother are singular; so the verb has is singular too) Neither Leila nor Nancy is going to write the report. (Leila and Nancy are singular; so the verb is is singular too)

2. However, if one of the elements is plural, then use a plural verb.

Either Sue or the girls are going to prepare dinner tonight. (the girls is plural; so the verb are is plural too) Neither the teacher nor the students were in the classroom this morning. (the students is plural; so the verb were is plural too)

Either, neither, both

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One of the tricky things about either, neither and both is knowing if they should be followed by singular or plural nouns and verbs. The table below explains either, neither and both, and the rules for what should follow them. Either, neither, both We use either, neither and both when we are talking about two things. > Would you like tea or coffee? > Either. I don't mind. This means: 'You can give me tea OR coffee. I have no preference.' > Would you like ham or beef in your sandwich? > Neither. I am a vegetarian. I don't eat meat. This means: 'I don't want ham and I don't want beef.' I take both milk and sugar in my coffee. This means: 'I take sugar. I also take milk.' either car, either person either of the chairs, either of the people Either day is fine for me. Either of the days is fine for me.

either = one OR the other

neither = not one and not the other

both = the first AND the second

We use either with a singular noun. We use either of with a plural noun. We use either and either of with a singular verb.

We use neither with a singular noun. neither house, neither man We use neither of with a plural neither of the houses, neither of the noun. men We use neither and neither of with a Neither day was suitable. singular verb. Neither of the days was suitable. We use both with a plural noun. both houses, both men both of the houses, both of the men Both (of) my brothers are tall.

We use both with a plural verb.

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We need of before the pronouns us, you, them. Between of and a noun we need to use these, those or my, your, John's, etc., or the.

both of us, both of you, either of them, neither of them, etc. both of those houses, neither of my brothers, both of John's sisters, either of the cinemas

Correlative conjunctions: neither/nor, either/or, both/and, . . .

Correlative conjunctions are pairs such as neither . . . nor, not . . . only, and but . . . also. These conjunctions connect two balanced clauses, phrases, or words. The two elements that correlative conjunctions connect are usually similar in length and grammatical structure. Here are a few example sentences containing correlative conjunctions:

either . . . or We can go to either Greece or Spain for our holiday. Its my final offer you can either take it or leave it. both . . . and Both rugby and football are popular in France. Both English and Welsh are spoken in Wales. not only . . . but also Not only is he a professional footballer, but hes also a successful businessman. not . . . but There are not two but three Baltic states: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In sport, what counts is not the winning but the taking part. neither . . . nor Neither Norway nor Switzerland is in the European Union. Marriage is neither heaven nor hell, it is simply purgatory. (Abraham Lincoln)

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whether . . . or Whether you love them or hate them, you have to admit that the Rolling Stones are very popular. Im totally confused I dont know whether Im coming or going. no sooner . . . than No sooner had I finished watering the garden than it started raining.

Subject-verb agreement Watch out! The verb which follows two subjects joined by a correlative conjunction must agree with the second subject, NOT the first: Either my brother or my mum look looks after our cat when were away on holiday. Either my brother or my parents looks look after our cat when were away on holiday. Neither the manager nor his assistant are is here today. Neither the manager nor his assistants is are here today.

Subordinating conjunctions: so that, until, even if, whereas, . . .

Subordinating conjunctions are conjunctions that connect a main (independent) clause and a subordinate (dependent) clause. The clause beginning with the subordinating conjunction is always the subordinate clause, which depends on the main clause and cannot exist without it. Common subordinating conjunctions include: because, so that, as, since before, after, until / till, when, as soon as, whenever, while unless, if, even if, in case, providing to express cause or reason to express time to express condition

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although, even though, whereas

to express contrast or concession

Here are some example sentences:

Pete didnt go to work yesterday because he was ill. [reason] As he was feeling unwell, Pete didnt go to work yesterday. [cause, reason; more formal than because] Ill lend you a map so that you can find the place more easily. [reason] Ill call you as soon as I get home. [time] Ill wait until you arrive. [time] Did he say anything before he left? [time] The baby gets very grumpy whenever hes tired. [time] If he doesnt change his attitude, hell lose his job. [condition] Even if you win a million dollars, it doesnt mean youll be happy. [condition] Ill lend you my car, providing you promise to be careful. [condition] Elliot is tall and blond, whereas his brother is short and has dark hair. [comparison] Marks very tall, although hes not as tall as his father yet. [comparison] Although theyre poor, theyre happy. [concession] Even though hes rich, Im not sure that hes happy. [concession]

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