Negative sentences with conjuctions "and/or"

Question

Hello, everyone,

According to some grammar books, for questions like "Which do you like, apples or oranges?," your answers can be "I like neither." or "I don't like apples or oranges." However, you can't say "I don't like apples and oranges." Is it true? Why can't I use "and"? Since these grammar books were written by Taiwanese, I'd like to know what they say is correct or not.

Thanks for answering my question!

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

WenwenHowever, you can't say "I don't like apples and oranges." Is it true?

It is not true. The sentence - I don't like apples and oranges. - has nothing grammatically wrong with it.
But, the meaning is different than:
I don't like apples or oranges.
I like neither apples nor oranges.

I can say without being contradictory:

I like peas and I like carrots, but I don't like peas and carrots.
I like peanut butter and I like jelly, but I don't like peanut butter and jelly.

CalifJim · Answer

Wenwen for questions like "Which do you like, apples or oranges?," your answers can be "I like neither." or "I don't like apples or oranges." However, you can't say "I don't like apples and oranges." Is it true?

As an answer to that question, it's true.

If you are asked, "Do you like apples and oranges?" you can take "apples and oranges" to mean "the combination of apples and oranges", that is, as one thing. Then you can answer, "I don't like apples and oranges". It will mean "I don't like the combination called 'apples and oranges'".

But if you are asked "Which do you like, apples or oranges?" you are supposed to make a choice. Your choice can be one or the other, both, or neither. But the combination 'apples and oranges' is not one of the choices. So the four answers are:

I like apples. / Apples.

I like oranges. / Oranges.

I like (both) apples and oranges. / I like both. / Both.

I don't like (either) apples or oranges. / I don't like either. / Neither.

(Affirmatives are associated with "and"; negatives are associated with "or".)

________

Note that because of the possibility of interpreting 'X and Y' as a single combination, you can also sensibly ask,

Which do you like, apples or oranges or 'apples and oranges'?

I'll leave it to you to figure out the eight possible answers and their variants.

CJ

Wenwen · Answer

Thanks, now I have a more clear picture about how to differentiate them.

But here brings up another question:

I cannot read and write.=> I have no ability to read and write at the same time?

Am I making sense?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

WenwenI cannot read and write.=> I have no ability to read and write at the same time?
Am I making sense?

When I write, I am automatically reading at the same time, to check what I am writing. I think that all writers have to do this; your sentence does not make sense to me.

But you are on the right track with the negative "cannot x and y" meaning doing x and y at the same time.
Here is an American insult:

He cannot walk and chew gum.

CalifJim · Answer

WenwenI cannot read and write. ...
Am I making sense?

Not exactly. I cannot read or write is the standard way to say it.

CJ

Negative sentences with conjuctions "and/or"

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