How Can We Use "Neither" in Conversation?
A lot of my students get confused when they tell me that they don't like something and I respond "me neither!" This is a common way to agree with a negative statement and we use it often in English. Let's talk about when and how to use "neither."
When to Use Neither
Use neither when you're talking about two things, and you want to say "not this one and not that one." Here are the main ways you'll hear it:
1. To agree with a negative statement
When someone says something negative, and you want to agree, you can use "neither":
A: "I can't swim."
B: "Neither can I."
(We both can't swim.)
In casual speech we can say:
A: "I don't like tomatoes."
B: "Me neither!"
(We both don't like tomatoes.)
2. To say "not this one and not that one"
We can use "neither" with "nor" to connect two negative ideas.
"I like neither coffee nor tea."
(I don't like coffee and I don't like tea.)
"She speaks neither English nor Spanish."
(She can't speak English and she can't speak Spanish)
3. As a short answer
"I have coffee and I have tea, which one do you want?"
"Neither."
(I don't want coffee and I don't want tea.)
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Common Mistakes
Here are a few things I see students get confused about. Let's fix them together.
Mistake 1: Using "neither" with more than two things
❌ "I like neither apples, bananas, nor oranges."
✅ "I like neither apples nor bananas." (for two things, it's okay)
✅ "I don't like apples, bananas, or oranges." (for three or more things, use "don't" instead)
Mistake 2: Mixing up "neither" and "either"
Neither = not one and not the other (negative)
Either = one or the other (positive or question)
"Would you like tea or coffee?"
Answer 1: "Either is fine." (I'm happy with one of them. You can choose one.)
Answer 2: "Neither, thanks." (I don't want either of them.)
Tip: Remember that "neither" starts with the letter "n" just like "negative" or "no," so we only use it for negative statements.
Mistake 3: Word order
❌ "I can't swim." → "Neither I can."
✅ "I can't swim." → "Neither can I."
The verb comes before the subject and after "neither."
Mistake 4: Using "neither...nor" with "not"
❌ "I don't like neither coffee nor tea."
✅ "I like neither coffee nor tea."
"Neither...nor" already means "not," so you don't need "don't" too.
Mini Quiz
Let's see what you remember. Choose the correct answer for each one.
1. "I don't like mornings." → "__ ."
a) Neither do I.
b) Neither I do.
c) Neither don't I.
2. Which sentence is correct?
a) I speak neither French nor Japanese.
b) I don't speak neither French nor Japanese.
3. "Would you like pizza or pasta?" → "__ , thanks. I already ate."
a) Either
b) Neither
4. She likes _ cats _ dogs. She only likes birds.
a) neither...nor
b) either...or
Answers
a
a
b
a
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Conclusion
Neither is your word for saying "not this one and not that one." Use it for two things, use it with "nor" to connect them, and remember the little trick: when you agree with a negative statement, flip the word order: "Neither can I," not "Neither I can."
Start small. Try using it when someone asks you to choose something. The more you use it, the more natural it will feel. You've got this!
