Deja que el mundo condimente tu vida

Cafetalk Tutor's Column

Tutor Lady Ayame 's Column

Do you know this rule? Either ... or and neither ... nor?

2018-03-04

Hello Cafetalk Community!

I hope you are doing well and you had a Happy Hinamatsuri Day! I personally love Hinamatsuri. My parents bought me the entire set of the Hinamatsuri dolls and they still display it. The delicate and intricate display of the emperor, empress, and the court is absolutely beautiful.

Anyway, I wanted to ask you if you know the grammatical rule of "Either . . . or" and "Neither . . . Nor"? It's kind of a useful rule to remember. If you use the word "Either," it must be followed by the conjunction "or." Likewise, if you use the word "Neither," it must be followed by the conjunction "nor." (A more formal way to say something.)

For example, the following sentences are examples of both instances:

"Either the detective was investigating the case or he was just nosy."

"Neither Uganda nor Thailand won gold medals at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics."

For explanations about the difference between the words "Both," "Either," and "Neither," please take a look at the image posted below. The image explains the distinction very concisely in an easy-to-understand way.

I hope that helps. If you need help with improving your English, please take a look at my Cafetalk profile to see if I am a tutor for you. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you very much for your consideration! 

Have a wonderful week ahead! Hope to see you soon!

Warmest regards,

Lady Ayame

(Patricia Ayame Thomson)

Got a question? Click to Chat