Either or Neither – How to Use Each Correctly
What’s the Difference Between Either and Neither?
Contents
Either and neither are rhyming words which can both be conjunctions, adjectives, or pronouns. However, they have opposite meanings.
Either can be an adverb, in addition to sometimes being a conjunction, adjective, or pronoun. It usually refers to two options, both of which are possible.
- You can have either coffee or tea.
Neither also most often refers to two options, of which both are not possible.
- You can have neither coffee nor tea, because we ran out of both this morning.
Now that you know the differences between these two words, let’s look at them in context to ensure you don’t confuse them.
Using Either in a Sentence
When to use either: Either, when acting as an adjective, means one or the other of two things, or both of two things. As a pronoun, it also means one or the other of two things. As a conjunction, it appears with the other conjunction or to give two choices. Finally, as an adverb, it means also in negative statements.
For example,
- We can go on vacation to either country this summer. (adjective)
- Iceland or Italy? Either sounds good. (pronoun)
- Either pay for the tickets now or cancel the trip. (conjunction)
- My sister doesn’t like traveling by plane, and I don’t either. (adverb)
One common expression using either is either way, which means whatever happens. An example sentence is I know you aren’t sure if you can come to my Earth Day celebration, but either way, here are some wildflower seeds which you can plant on your own time. In other words, people use either way to say that whichever of two options occurs, the end result should be the same.
Using Neither in a Sentence
When to use neither: Neither can also act as either an adjective, pronoun, or conjunction. It is the negative form of either, and therefore means that both options are not possible.
- I know you want to go to Italy or Iceland for vacation this year. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough money in our budget, so neither country is an option this year. (adjective)
- I’m allergic to both your dog and your cat. Neither are allowed in my house. (pronoun)
- Neither ignoring your problems nor crying about them will help to solve them. (conjunction)
There are several expressions that use neither:
- neither hide nor hair: no trace or no evidence of someone or something
- I don’t know where my friend went. I can find neither hide nor hair of him!
- neither fish nor fowl: not a recognizable class or category
- The creature in the woods appeared to be neither fish nor fowl. Rather, it appeared to consist of a mixture of a variety of different animals.
- neither here nor there: of insignificant importance
- Why are you asking if I am a Democrat or a Republican? That is neither here nor there, especially regarding this decision about the school bake sale!
- Neither a borrower nor a lender be: Don’t lend money or borrow money
- Of course you and your friend are fighting because she won’t pay you back the money that you lent her. That’s why I adhere to the old proverb neither a borrower nor a lender be. It helps me to avoid many problems.
- If you chase after two hares, you will catch neither: If you pursue two goals at the same time, you will fail at both
- You can’t study to become a lawyer and a doctor at the same time. That’s too lofty a goal and too difficult a task. Remember, if you chase after two hares, you will catch neither.
People often use neither as a short answer, such as me neither, when they are agreeing with a negative statement their conversational partner already mentioned. For example, if person A says I don’t like pizza then person B could respond Me neither or Neither do I. In this use, me neither is the correct phrase.
Remembering Either vs. Neither
The spelling of either and neither can act as a mnemonic device to help you to remember which word has which meaning.
Neither starts with the letter n, just likes the words no, not, nor, and negative. This can help you remember that neither is the negative form of either. It can also help you remember that neither is similar to the meaning not either. Additionally, it can help you to remember to use neither and nor together when neither is acting as a conjunction.
Either starts with a vowel, just like the conjunction or. This can help you to remember to use either and or together when either is acting as a conjunction.
Outside Examples
- Those already packed into the school’s cafeteria had one thing in common: They were either unable or unwilling to leave the area, despite a mandatory evacuation order for several sections of the county, including anyone close to the nearby ocean. –Chicago Tribune
- Immigrant rights advocates were dismayed it included so many crimes, including nonviolent drug charges and “wobblers,” offenses that could be charged as either a felony or misdemeanor. –LA Times
- Neither the Houston Police Department nor the Omni confirmed Renick’s identity, though HPD spokeswoman Jodi Silva said a body was found at the hotel Thursday morning. –Houston Chronicle
- But those few miles meant St. Petersburg could get a direct hit, rather than its more populous twin across Tampa Bay. Neither city has suffered a major hurricane in nearly a century. –New York Post
Quiz: Either vs. Neither
Instructions: Fill in the blank with the correct word, either either or neither, in the correct form.
- We can _______________ take Main Street or this shortcut. _________ way should get us home in about ten minutes.
- __________________ candidate for President is very popular. Most citizens hate both of them equally.
- ____________________ vote or stop complaining!
See answers below.
Article Summary
Should I use either or neither? These words sound similar and share some parts of speech, but they have opposite meanings.
- Either means one or both of two options are acceptable or possible.
- Neither means both of two options are unacceptable or impossible.
Despite the similarities, it is important not to confuse these opposite words.
Answers
- either, Either
- Neither
- Either