When To Use Neither Or Either

When to use neither or either depends on meaning: use either for a two-choice option, neither for “not this one and not that one.”

“Either” and “neither” look small, yet they steer meaning and grammar in a big way. Mix them up and a sentence can flip from a choice to a refusal, or sound off because the verb doesn’t match. This guide gives you rules you can apply in seconds, plus the edge cases that trip people in emails, essays, and tests.

You’ll see these words most in two places: (1) when you’re linking two items with or or nor, and (2) when you’re replying without repeating the whole question. Get those two jobs right and the rest feels easy.

What Either And Neither Mean In One Glance

Form Or Pattern	Use	Notes
either A or B	Choose one of two	Best for options, plans, and decisions
neither A nor B	Choose none of the two	Means “not A and not B”
either + singular noun	One of two items	“Either day works.”
neither + singular noun	Not one of two items	“Neither answer fits.”
either of + plural noun	One from a pair named as a group	Often takes a singular verb in formal writing
neither of + plural noun	Not one from a pair named as a group	Often takes a singular verb in formal writing
either (at sentence end)	Negative agreement (“also not”)	“I didn’t call either.”
neither + inversion	Add a second negative idea	“Neither did I.”

Before you pick a structure, lock in the meaning. Either points to one of two. Neither blocks both. If your message is a pick-one choice, start with either. If your message is “no to both,” reach for neither.

When To Use Neither Or Either In Formal Writing

This section covers the places where teachers, editors, and style checks care most: matched pairs, parallel structure, and verb choice. If you’re writing an academic paragraph, a cover letter, or a report, these patterns keep your sentences tidy.

Use Either For A Two-Choice Option

Use either when there are exactly two options and you mean one option is acceptable. The most common pattern is “either A or B.” Keep the parts after either and or in the same grammatical shape.

Correct: You can submit the assignment either online or in class.
Correct: We can meet either Monday or Tuesday.
Fix the mismatch: “either to email the form or dropping it off” → “either email the form or drop it off.”

Use Neither For A Clear “No To Both”

Use neither when both options are rejected. The matched pair is “neither A nor B.” As with either/or, keep the grammar on both sides in the same shape.

Correct: The answer is neither A nor B.
Correct: She speaks neither French nor Spanish.
Fix the mismatch: “neither reading nor to watch” → “neither read nor watch.”

Place Either And Neither Close To What They Modify

Readers scan for the word that points to the choice. If “either” or “neither” sits far from the nouns it controls, the sentence can wobble. Keep them near the two items when you can.

Cleaner: Either the red pen or the blue pen will work.
Less clean: The red pen will either work or the blue pen will.

Choosing Either Or Neither In Questions And Negatives

In everyday writing, either and neither show up in short replies, quick refusals, and polite options. These uses feel natural in speech, yet the grammar still matters when you write it down.

Short Answers Without Repeating The Whole Sentence

When someone offers two choices, “either” can stand alone as a pronoun. It means “one of the two choices you named.” “Neither” can stand alone too, meaning “none of those two.”

Q: Do you want tea or coffee?
A: Either is fine.
A: Neither, thanks. I’ll take water.

Either In Negative Sentences As “Also Not”

In informal English, “either” can mean “also not” at the end of a negative statement. It often replaces “too” in negative contexts.

I don’t like that movie. My brother doesn’t like it either.
She didn’t email back, and I didn’t call either.

If you’re writing in a strict academic tone, you can move either earlier (“I did not call either person”) or rewrite with a second negative clause.

Neither As A Sentence Starter

“Neither” can open a sentence when you’re adding a second negative idea. You’ll often see inversion, where the auxiliary verb comes before the subject.

I didn’t finish the reading. Neither did my partner.
He can’t access the file. Neither can I.

This style reads clean when the two sentences share the same tense and auxiliary. If the structure gets long, rewrite into one sentence with “neither… nor.”

Verb Agreement With Either And Neither

Verb agreement is where people lose points on exams and where editors leave comments. The good news: you can run a quick check. Find the word that controls the verb, then match your verb to it.

Either Or: Match The Verb To The Noun Nearest The Verb

With “either A or B,” the verb usually agrees with the noun closest to it. This is often called the proximity rule. It keeps sentences from sounding clunky.

Either the teachers or the principal is calling.
Either the principal or the teachers are calling.

If the line feels odd, reorder the pair so the noun you want near the verb sits last.

Neither Nor: Use The Same Proximity Rule

With “neither A nor B,” the same pattern applies. Match the verb to the noun closest to the verb.

Neither the students nor the tutor was late.
Neither the tutor nor the students were late.

Either Of And Neither Of With Plural Nouns

Phrases like “either of the options” and “neither of the answers” feel plural because the noun after “of” is plural. In careful formal writing, the head word is still either or neither, so a singular verb is common.

Either of the two routes works if traffic is light.
Neither of the answers fits the prompt.

In casual writing, many people use a plural verb here (“neither of the answers fit”). If you’re writing for school or publication, a singular verb will rarely be marked wrong. Cambridge’s grammar notes lay out these patterns and the common variants in modern usage: Cambridge Dictionary grammar on either…or and neither…nor.

Common Mix-Ups And Quick Fixes

Most mistakes fall into a few buckets: mixing the paired words, drifting away from parallel structure, and letting “both” sneak in by accident. Use these checks to clean a draft in one pass.

Don’t Mix Either With Nor

“Either… nor” is a common slip. If you start with either, you finish with or. If you start with neither, you finish with nor.

Fix: “either rain nor snow” → “either rain or snow”
Fix: “neither rain or snow” → “neither rain nor snow”

Keep The Two Parts Parallel

Parallel structure keeps the reader from re-parsing the sentence midstream. If one side is a noun, the other side should be a noun. If one side is a verb phrase, mirror it.

Clean: She will either revise the draft or rewrite the intro.
Clean: The policy affects either students or staff.

Watch For “Both” Collisions

“Neither” already means “not both.” If “both” appears in the same sentence, the meaning can clash.

Clear: Neither option meets the deadline.
Clear: Both options meet the deadline.

If you meant “not both, but one might,” write “not both” or “one of them.” That keeps the meaning straight.

When To Use Neither Or Either In Lists And Longer Sentences

Long sentences can hide the two items you’re pairing. When that happens, either and neither still work, but you’ll want extra clarity through punctuation or a rewrite that trims distance between the pair.

Use Commas When The Paired Parts Are Long

If A and B are short, you can skip commas. If they’re long phrases with their own commas, add commas around the either/or or neither/nor unit so the reader doesn’t lose the thread.

We can either submit the form online before noon, or hand it in at the office window after lunch.
The grant covers neither travel costs to the conference, nor hotel fees during the stay.

Limit Either And Neither To Two Items

Either and neither are built for two items. If you have three or more, the sentence can sound forced. In that case, switch to “any of,” “none of,” or list your options in a separate sentence.

Better for three items: None of the three dates works.
Better for three items: Any of the three formats is accepted.

Use Either With “Each” Meaning Only When Two Sides Exist

In some contexts, “either” can mean “each,” like “There are trees on either side of the road.” That use works when there are two sides by definition. If you mean “any one at all,” use “any,” not either.

There are cafés on either side of the square.
You can pick any seat in the back row.

Table Of Mistakes That Cost Points

Slip	Better Wording	Why It Reads Better
either… nor	either… or	Paired words must match
neither… or	neither… nor	Paired words must match
Either of the answers are	Either of the answers is	Formal agreement often treats “either” as singular
Neither of the plans are	Neither of the plans is	Formal agreement often treats “neither” as singular
She will either to call or text	She will either call or text	Parallel verb forms keep rhythm
Neither the laptop nor the charger were	Neither the laptop nor the charger was	Nearest noun is singular
Either the laptop or the chargers was	Either the laptop or the chargers were	Nearest noun is plural
Neither option works, both fail	Neither option works; both fail	Punctuation prevents a run-on

Two Fast Checks Before You Hit Publish

When you’re unsure, run these two checks. They take under a minute and catch most issues.

Check 1: What’s The Meaning You Need?

Ask yourself a plain question: am I offering one of two, or rejecting both? If it’s one of two, choose either. If it’s rejecting both, choose neither. Then pick the matching partner word: or for either, nor for neither.

Check 2: Read The Verb Out Loud

Read the sentence and pause right before the verb. Which noun feels closest to that verb? Match the verb to that noun. If the sentence sounds odd, swap the order of the two nouns so the one you want near the verb sits last.

Mini Practice: Fix These Sentences

Try these quick edits. The answers follow right after, so you can check your instinct.

We can either print the worksheet nor share it as a PDF.
Neither the notes or the slides is posted yet.
Either of the two chapters are fine for your summary.
I didn’t see the message, and I didn’t reply too.

Suggested Fixes

We can either print the worksheet or share it as a PDF.
Neither the notes nor the slides are posted yet.
Either of the two chapters is fine for your summary.
I didn’t see the message, and I didn’t reply either.

One More Note On Style Guides

Different style guides accept different choices for agreement with “either of” and “neither of.” If your school or workplace has a preferred guide, follow it. If you want a steady reference for matching subjects and verbs in longer sentences, Purdue’s OWL lays it out clearly: Purdue OWL on subject-verb agreement.

When to use neither or either becomes simple once you tie it to meaning first, then match the verb to the nearest noun. If you remember that one-two punch, you’ll write cleaner sentences without second-guessing every “or” and “nor.”