Neither and either: what’s the difference?

“Neither the sun nor the moon had shone in the sky yesterday.”

The words “either” and “neither” are closely related, but they have opposite meanings.

Either

• Meaning
  • “Either” indicates a choice between two possibilities. It suggests one or the other, but not both.  
  • It can also be used to indicate that something is true for both of two things.
• Usage
  • As a conjunction: Used with “or” to present two options (e.g., “You can either go to the store or stay home.”).  
  • As a pronoun: Refers to one of two options (e.g., “Either of you can answer the question.”).  
  • As an adverb: Used to add a negative statement to a previous negative statement (e.g., “I don’t like coffee, and I don’t like tea either.”).
• Key point: Either is generally used in positive contexts.  

Neither

• Meaning
  • “Neither” indicates that not one of two possibilities is true. It means “not either.”  
  • It is a negative term.  
• Usage
  • As a conjunction: Used with “nor” to exclude both options (e.g., “Neither the cat nor the dog was in the yard.”).
  • As a pronoun: Refers to the absence of both options (e.g., “Neither of them wants to go.”).  
  • As an adverb: Used to add a negative statement to a previous negative statement (e.g., “I don’t like coffee, neither do I like tea.”).
• Key point: Neither is always used in negative contexts.

Here’s a simple way to remember the difference

• “Either” implies a choice.  
• “Neither” implies no choice.

Example scenarios

• “Would you like tea or coffee?”
  • “Either is fine.” (Meaning one or the other is acceptable.)
  • “Neither, thank you.” (Meaning I don’t want tea or coffee.)
• “Neither of the answers were correct.” (Meaning not one of the two answers were correct)
• “Either answer can be correct.” (Meaning one of the two answers can be correct)

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