Apologies for not posting much recently. It's been a very busy start to the spring semester. But I noticed several people posted comments about "either" and "neither," and they're worth discussing.
First, Yian wrote:
from what i understand either is when you have two options and one of the two is going to happen while the other won't. neither is none of the two options is going to happen.
however, if i want to use this into a question, which is going to be correct?
e.g. "Do you remember what you wrote in your first essay?"
"No, and hopefully you don't either"
is it correct to use either, or should it be neither there?
This is a very interesting point. Yes, "either" means one or the other, and "neither" means not one and not the other!
But you say "either" when you've used a negative expression in the sentence, and you say "neither" when you've used a positive expression:
"I don't like greasy foods," said Crawford.
"I don't either," said Joe.
"Neither do I," said Jill.
So your sentence is correct—a negative (you don't) followed by "either."
Next, Maria asks:
I would like to know if it's possible to use neither ... nor before a preposition, for example:
I'm interested neither in the destruction nor in the attack.
Yes, you can use it. But it's shorter to say: I'm interested in neither the destruction nor the attack.
Both are correct, so it's up to the writer to decide which sentence sounds better.
Finally, Jessiey asks:
If you have someone saying , "me either" , is that correct, or is it more correct to add the 'n' and say, "me neither". I understand that "me neither" sounds better, but when writing, I see people dropping the 'N' and writing "me either". Which is more correct?
Both are "non-standard"—everyone understands these expressions but they're not accepted as part of standard English. It's interesting that "me either" is widely used, because most North Americans are uncomfortable when one word ends with a vowel and the next word begins with the same vowel.
(The British are even more uncomfortable—ask them to say, "America and Canada are big countries," and they'll say, "Americker and Canader are big countries.")
So as non-standard expressions, both are equally acceptable in casual conversation, but if your English teacher happens to say, "I don't like greasy food," you'd be wise to say, "Neither do I."
Dear English Teacher,
Thanks for answering my question!
This is really a great blog.
Posted by: Maria Sabogal | February 14, 2007 at 08:35 PM
Well, if it's good it's because people ask me such interesting questions! I hope I get some more.
Posted by: Crof | February 14, 2007 at 08:46 PM