Either / Or, Neither / Nor

Either This, Or That

A grammar lesson on either / or and neither / nor — choosing between two things, and rejecting both.

Notice it

Weekend plans

A:What do you want to do this weekend — go hiking or visit a museum?
B:Honestly, either is fine with me. I don't mind which one.
A:Well, I don't really want to do either, if I'm honest. I'm pretty tired.
B:Neither do I. Maybe we should just stay home.
A:Yeah, let's do neither of those things then. Let's just relax at home.
B:Sounds perfect. Neither of us has to decide anything.
A:Exactly. I don't want to cook or clean today.
B:Me neither. Let's just order food.
Work it out

Questions about the conversation

1.Find the two sentences with "either" alone. Does it mean one thing, or both things?
2.Find the sentences with "neither." How is the meaning different from "either"?
3.Look at "Neither do I." Is B agreeing with a positive sentence or a negative one?
4.Compare "Neither do I" and "Me neither." Which one sounds more casual?
5.Look at "Neither of us has to decide." Is the verb "has" singular or plural? What do you think the rule is?
Examples and rules

How either and neither work

either ... or — a choice between two (positive)

Use this when you're offering or choosing between two options.

You can have either tea or coffee.
We can go either today or tomorrow.
neither ... nor — rejecting both (negative)

Use this when neither of the two options is true. The sentence is already negative — no extra "not" needed.

He speaks neither French nor Spanish.
I like neither tea nor coffee.
either / neither alone

When the two things are already clear, you can use just "either" or "neither" on their own.

"Tea or coffee?" — "Either is fine."
"Which one do you want?" — "Neither, thanks."
agreeing with a negative statement

To agree with something negative, use "Neither + auxiliary + subject," or the shorter, more casual "Me neither."

"I don't like mornings." — "Neither do I." / "Me neither."
Quick note: with "neither of us / them," the verb is usually singular in careful English (neither of us knows), but you'll often hear a plural verb in casual speech (neither of us know). Both are common — singular is safer for writing.
Controlled practice

Fill in the gap

Complete each sentence with either or neither.

Controlled practice

Build the sentence

Put the words in the right order. Try it yourself first, then tap to check.

Speaking practice

Either way

Take turns. Partner A offers a choice between two real things (food, places, activities, anything). Partner B responds honestly — naming one, saying "either is fine," or saying "neither" if they want neither. Then switch: Partner A makes a negative statement about themselves, and Partner B responds with "Neither do I" or "Me neither" if it's true for them too — or disagrees if it isn't.

  • Do at least 5 rounds of choices, and 5 rounds of negative statements.
  • Try to use "either...or" and "neither...nor" with two named things at least twice each.
  • Be honest — if you don't want either option, say so.
One rule: no repeating the exact same sentence structure twice in a row. Mix it up.
Homework

Extensive listening

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Either or Neither? — Advanced English Grammar Course

Watch the video once for general understanding. Then watch it again and write down 2 example sentences you hear that we haven't studied yet.

End of Lesson