EITHER/OR NEITHER/NOR
In English grammar “EITHER” is a PRONOUN that can be used where there are two objects, two actions or two possible results from one action.
It is usually followed by “OR”
to separate the alternatives: 
The dress was EITHER blue OR green.
He could EITHER catch a bus OR walk home.
The blunderbuss was such an inaccurate weapon that firing it might result in EITHER hitting your target OR one of your friends.
"EITHER" selects what can or may happen.
“NEITHER” can be used the same way,
but it selects what cannot or may not happen:
The dress was NEITHER blue NOR green: it was yellow.
He NEITHER caught a bus, NOR walked home. He caught a taxi.
The blunderbuss was so inaccurate that it often hit NEITHER its target NOR anything else: the shot might travel only a short distance into the ground.
“EITHER” can also be used without “OR”.
Asked to decide which drink he preferred, Hugh replied “EITHER of them.” [Meaning BOTH]
EITHER actor would be suitable for the part of James Bond.
It would be possible for EITHER vehicle to travel 500 miles on a full tank of petrol.
“NEITHER” can be used in a similar
fashion.
Asked to decide which drink he preferred, Hugh replied “NEITHER of them.” [Meaning NOT ONE OF the two choices]
NEITHER actor would be suitable for the part of James Bond.
NEITHER vehicle could travel 500 miles on a full tank of petrol.
Notice how this
sentence‘s structure has to change.
You can also use “EITHER”
in a negative sentence:
Asked to decide which drink he preferred, Hugh replied “I don’t like EITHER of them.”
No one believes that EITHER actor would be suitable for the part of James Bond.
It would not be possible for EITHER vehicle to travel 500 miles on a full tank of petrol.
Notice:
Where there are more than two
choices, use “ANY” or “NONE”.
“EITHER” and “NEITHER” can also be used
as ADVERBS (usually when making
comparisons):
“I don’t like him, and I don’t like her EITHER.”
“Coca Cola is too sweet for me, and Pepsi is not much better EITHER.”
“George Lazenby was not the right actor to play James Bond, but NEITHER is George Clooney.”
“The Ferrari 458 is not a fuel-efficient car, but NEITHER is the Ford Galaxy.”
Notice that
the sentence structure changes to accommodate the different ways in which “EITHER”
and “NEITHER”
are used in these phrases. With “EITHER” it is not necessary to say
anything else. With “NEITHER” it is necessary to specify
a second subject in the comparison. “OR”
and “NOR”
are not used at all.
How can you use these words?
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SCG LANGUAGE TUTORIALS for English grammar and vocabulary tutorials and analysis of UCAS applications and other documents, for students of English as a second language [ESL] and other British qualifications.
