»Either VS Neither«
These words sound similar, right? Only one letter difference. But they actually mean two completely different things, and it's important for you to know which is which.
📖 "Either" can mean "one or the other."
You have two options.
• My mom used to say: "You're EITHER going to stay inside or stay outside, pick one!" 😂
This means I had to choose which one.
📖 "Neither" means "none."
You have two options, but you aren't picking either of them.
• Friend: "Do you want chocolate ice cream or vanilla?"
• You: "NEITHER. I don't want ice cream right now."
This means that you chose none of the options, and this is the correct use of "neither" in this case.
How to tell the difference? Simple.
★ "Neither" has an 'n', right? N= no. ★
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Either/Neither are most commonly used in those ways. But actually, they can also be used when you are linking a negative sentence together.
For example:
(NOT) EITHER:
Friend: I don’t speak Spanish.
You: I don’t, either.
NEITHER:
Friend: I don’t speak French.
You: Neither do I.
You (informal): Me, neither.
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• Either = one.
• Neither = none.
• (Not) Either = neither.