Usage of Neither 

“Neither” means “not either” for two things or people, and it goes with singular nouns to say we don’t choose either one.

1. Neither cat caught the mouse. (“Neither cat caught the mouse” means that both cats failed to catch the mouse. The word “neither” is used to indicate that neither of the two cats succeeded in catching the mouse.) 

2. Neither shoe fit him. (The sentence “Neither shoe fit him” means that neither of the shoes was the right size or comfortable for him. Both shoes were too small, too big, or otherwise unsuitable for his feet.) 

“We use ‘neither of’ before words like pronouns or plural nouns with a word like ‘my,’ ‘his,’ or ‘the’ before them.”

1. “Neither of the students completed the assignment” – This means that none of the students finished the assignment.

2. “Neither of the dogs barked at the stranger” – This indicates that neither of the dogs made a noise (barked) when they saw the stranger.

3. “Neither of the books interested me” – This implies that neither of the books caught my interest or appealed to me.

4. “Neither of the restaurants had vegetarian options” – This signifies that neither of the restaurants offered food options suitable for vegetarians.

When using “neither…nor,” you’re linking negative options. For example, “I neither like tea nor coffee” means you don’t like either. It can sound formal when spoken aloud.

Examples:

1. Neither the dog nor the cat seemed interested in the new toy. (Neither the dog showed interest in the toy nor did the cat show interest.)

2. Neither the chef nor the diners were impressed with the restaurant’s new menu. (The chef wasn’t impressed, and the diners weren’t impressed either.)

3. Neither John nor his brother could solve the math problem. (John couldn’t solve it, and his brother couldn’t either.)

4. Neither the car nor the bike was suitable for the long journey. (The car wasn’t suitable, and the bike wasn’t suitable either.)

5. Neither the book nor the movie lived up to my expectations. (The book didn’t live up to expectations, and the movie didn’t either.)

6. Neither the manager nor the employees were aware of the company’s financial troubles. (The manager wasn’t aware, and the employees weren’t aware either.)

7. Neither the raincoat nor the umbrella kept me dry in the heavy downpour. (The raincoat didn’t keep dry, and the umbrella didn’t either.)

8. Neither the laptop nor the tablet was charged, so I couldn’t work. (The laptop wasn’t charged, and the tablet wasn’t charged either.)

9. Neither the coffee nor the tea tasted good at the café. (The coffee didn’t taste good, and the tea didn’t either.)

10. Neither the politician nor the voters were happy with the election results. (The politician wasn’t happy, and the voters weren’t happy either.)

Not with neither and nor

When a clause with “neither” or “nor” is used after a negative clause, we invert the subject and the verb after “neither” and “nor” to maintain correct grammar and clarity in the sentence. This inversion helps to match the subject and verb correctly in negative constructions.

Examples.

1. She doesn’t like pizza, nor does she enjoy pasta.

2. They haven’t visited Europe, neither have they traveled to Asia.

3. He didn’t attend the meeting, nor did he respond to any emails.

4. She won’t be attending the party, nor will she be coming to the picnic.

5. They can’t swim, neither can they surf.

6. He didn’t finish his project on time, nor did he submit it before the deadline.

7. She didn’t buy the dress, nor did she purchase any accessories.

8. They haven’t tried the new restaurant, neither have they heard any reviews about it.

9. He doesn’t speak Spanish, nor does he understand French.

10. She isn’t interested in sports, neither is she fond of outdoor activities.