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Neither Either Explanation

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So - Neither - Either

SO
SO is used to show agreement with positive statements.
SO + Auxiliary/Be + Subject (pronoun)
The Auxiliary (or To Be/Have) needs to agree with the verb tense in the original statement.
It is similar to using TOO at the end of a sentence.

Person A Person B

I am happy. So am I. = I am happy too.


I'm going to Brazil in the summer. So am I. = I am going to Brazil too.
You look nice today. So do you. = You look nice too.
Stephanie has a new boyfriend. So does Mary. = Mary has a new one too.
We went to the concert last night. So did I. = I went to the concert too.
I would love a coffee right now. So would I. = I would love a coffee too.
He will win a prize. So will I. = I will win one too.
They have finished their homework. So have I. = I have finished too.
I can speak two languages. So can I. = I can speak two too.
He should study more. So should I. = I should study more too.
We could see the mountains. So could we. = We could see them too.
My brother had eaten too much. So had I. = I had eaten too much too.
Sometimes you can use So + Auxiliary + Subject as a continuation of the first part of the sentence.

 John can sing well and so can his brother.


(= John can sing well and his brother can sing well too)

NEITHER
Neither is used to show agreement with negative statements.
Neither + Auxiliary + Subject (pronoun)
The Auxiliary needs to agree with the verb tense in the original statement.
It is similar to using either at the end of a sentence, although Neither is more commonly used,
especially in spoken English. We can also use Nor.
A: I don't understand Spanish.
B: Neither do I. / Nor do I (= I don't understand Spanish either.)
A: I cannot swim.
B: Neither can I. (= I can't swim either.)
Sometimes people respond Me Neither instead of Neither + Auxiliary + Subject though this is very
informal spoken English.

Person A Person B

I am not hungry. Neither am I. / Nor am I = I'm not hungry either.


I'm not going to quit. Neither am I. / Nor am I = I'm not going to quit either.
They don't speak French. Neither do I. / Nor do I = I don't speak French either.
Stephanie doesn't eat meat. Neither does Mary / Nor does Mary = Mary doesn't eat meat either.
Mary didn't go to the party. Neither did I. / Nor did I = I didn't go either.
I wouldn't like to do his job. Neither would I. / Nor would I = I wouldn't like to do it either.
He won't stop talking. Neither will you. / Nor will you = You won't stop either.
You haven't finished your meal. Neither have you. / Nor have you = You haven't finished either.
I can't reach the top shelf. Neither can I. / Nor can I = I can't reach it either.
You shouldn't talk in the movie. Neither should you / Nor should you = You shouldn't talk either.
We couldn't hear him. Neither could we. / Nor could we = We couldn't hear him either.
= I hadn't seen her
I hadn't seen her before. Neither had I. / Nor had I
before either.
Summary Charts
Exercises to practise:
http://www.agendaweb.org/grammar/neither-either-both-exercises.html

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