Practice
Either vs neither: make clear choices and negative statements
Sign in to saveTwo doors are open, but you only need one. Say either door. Both doors are locked, so neither door will help. The words look similar, yet they give opposite messages about two choices.
Choose either when one of two options is possible and neither when both options are excluded.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
either / neither /ˈaɪ.ðə(r)/ or /ˈiː.ðə(r)/; /ˈnaɪ.ðə(r)/ or /ˈniː.ðə(r)/
The short answer
Use either for one of two possible choices. Use neither when both choices are excluded.
You can sit on either side of the table.
Why it works: Both sides are possible, and the listener may choose one of them.
5 more examples
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Either key will open the storage room.
There are two keys, and one key is enough. The sentence leaves both options open.
Not this:
Neither keywill open the storage room. What changes: Both keys fail, so neither excludes each option. -
You can send the form by email or bring it to the office.
The sentence gives two ways to complete the same task.
Not this:You can
either sendthe form by email or bring it to the office. What changes: Either makes the two-part choice especially clear. -
Neither Maya nor Omar has the meeting link.
The sentence says that both named people lack the link.
Not this:
Either Maya or Omarhas the meeting link. What changes: This version says that one of the two people has it, without naming which one. -
I cannot join the call at noon, and Priya cannot join it either.
Either comes at the end to add a second negative statement.
Not this:I can join the call at noon, and Priya can join it
too. What changes: Too commonly adds a positive statement, while either commonly adds a negative one. -
Neither of the proposals meets the budget limit.
Neither can stand before of plus a plural noun phrase when both items are excluded.
Not this:
Either of the proposalscould work with a smaller budget. What changes: Either of means that one of the two proposals is possible.
Read the full guide
First count the choices. This lesson uses either and neither for two choices, not a long list. Then ask whether at least one choice remains open. If it does, either may fit. If both choices are ruled out, use neither. That one decision will help you build the common patterns with or, nor, and negative sentences.
Start with two choices
Use these words when the sentence concerns a pair. Either says that one option can be chosen, used, or true. Neither says that both options fail, are absent, or are unsuitable. Before choosing a word, make sure there are exactly two relevant options.
Either entrance is open until six o'clock.
The building has two entrances, and the speaker permits the listener to use one of them.
Neither entrance is open after six o'clock.
Two bus routes reach the station. You may take one. Which word fits before route?
Use either: You may take either route.
Use either and neither before a singular noun
Before a singular countable noun, either and neither work much like determiners. Say either option, either day, neither answer, or neither colleague. The noun stays singular because the sentence looks at each member of the pair separately.
Either day is fine for the appointment.
Monday and Tuesday are both possible, even though the appointment will happen on only one day.
Neither answer explains why the machine stopped.
Both explanations are wrong. Complete the sentence: ___ explanation is correct.
Use neither: Neither explanation is correct.
Build a choice with either...or
Use either...or when you present two alternatives in the same sentence. Put either before the first matching part and or before the second. The matching parts can be nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositional phrases, or whole clauses. Keep the grammar balanced so the listener can hear the two options easily.
We can either meet on Tuesday or speak by phone on Wednesday.
The two alternatives are parallel actions: meet on Tuesday and speak by phone on Wednesday.
Choose either the blue folder or the green folder.
Complete the choice: You can ___ print the ticket ___ show it on your phone.
Use either and or: You can either print the ticket or show it on your phone.
Use neither...nor for two negative alternatives
Neither...nor excludes both alternatives in one sentence. Neither already carries the negative meaning, so the verb should not take another negative form. Say Neither option works, not Neither option does not work. Use nor before the second item when you name both alternatives.
Neither the printer nor the scanner is connected to the network.
The sentence rules out both devices. It needs no additional word such as not.
Neither walking nor cycling is safe on that road after dark.
Both candidates declined the invitation. Complete the sentence: ___ candidate ___ accepted.
Use neither and nor: Neither candidate nor the other candidate accepted.
Put either at the end of a negative sentence
At the end of a negative statement, either means also not. It responds to or adds another negative idea. This use is different from either before a noun or before or. In a positive sentence, use too or also instead of final either.
The museum is not open on Monday, and the cafe is not open then either.
The cafe shares the museum's negative condition. Final either adds that second negative fact.
I do not have the receipt, and my brother does not have it either.
Add a negative agreement: Lina cannot attend. Her colleague cannot attend ___.
Use either at the end: Her colleague cannot attend either.
Choose a verb that agrees with the nearest subject
Either and neither before a singular noun usually take a singular verb: Either plan is possible. Neither plan is cheap. In either...or and neither...nor sentences with different subjects, place the plural subject close to the verb when you need a plural verb. This makes the sentence easier to read and avoids an awkward verb choice.
Neither the assistant nor the managers are ready to sign the form.
Managers is plural and stands next to are, so the verb matches the nearest subject.
Neither the managers nor the assistant is ready to sign the form.
Choose the verb: Either the coaches or the captain ___ responsible for the report.
Use is. Captain is the singular subject nearest to the verb.
Before you go
Remember this
Use either when one of two options is possible: either key will work. Use neither when both options are excluded: neither key will work. Join alternatives with either...or, join two negative alternatives with neither...nor, and put either at the end of a negative sentence when you mean also not.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Either vs neither: make clear choices and negative statements"
What is the basic difference between either and neither?
Either leaves one of two options open. Neither excludes both options. For example, either key can open a storage room when both keys work, while neither key can open it when both keys fail.
Either key will open the storage room.
Do either and neither refer to two things only?
In standard grammar, either and neither usually refer to a pair. Use either when one of two routes, answers, or people is possible. If you need to discuss more than two items, choose wording such as any, none, or another phrase that matches the number of options.
Neither key will open the storage room.
How do I use either...or and neither...nor?
Use either...or to connect two possible alternatives, such as sending a form by email or bringing it to an office. Use neither...nor when both named alternatives are excluded. Keep the grammar after each connector parallel when you can.
You can send the form by email or bring it to the office.
Why does either appear at the end of a negative sentence?
Final either means also not. It commonly follows a negative statement: one person cannot join a call, and another person cannot join it either. In a positive statement, too is usually the natural word for adding the same idea.
You can either send the form by email or bring it to the office.
Should I use a singular or plural verb after neither?
Use a singular verb after neither plus a singular noun: Neither proposal meets the budget limit. With neither...nor and mixed singular and plural subjects, put the subject that controls the verb near it, as in Neither the manager nor the assistants are available.
Neither Maya nor Omar has the meeting link.