Neither nor or either or or not

Question

Hi. Please help. I hope my questions are not confusing to you. Should there be a "nor" before the word "horizontally" and a comma before "nor" in the following example sentence? How about the comma between "vertically" and "horizontally"? Do we need it there?

They never sit next to each other, neither vertically, horizontally nor diagonally.

How about these? Are they correct? Should there be a comma before the conjunction "or" in no. 2? Thank you in advance for your help.

1. They never sit next to each other, either vertically or horizontally or diagonally.

2. They never sit next to each other, not vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

Before you worry about 'nor' or a comma, you'll have to re-think what you are trying to say. If you sit next to someone, you sit on their left or right. It makes no sense to speak of sitting horizontally, vertically or diagonally next to someone.

Anonymous · Answer

fivejedjonIt makes no sense to speak of sitting horizontally, vertically or diagonally next to someone.

Have you ever been watching a football match? If so, then you might have been able to see how spectators are seated there.

Fivejedjon · Answer

There can be only two people sitting next to a third person, one on each side. Others may be sitting close to him in the same row, or in rows in front of or behind that person, but  they are not next  to them.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you. Now, let the word "sit" be changed to the word "is":

They never ~~sit~~ is next to each other, neither vertically, horizontally nor diagonally.

Would you please now help me with any of the questions I asked? Let the word "sit" be changed to "is" for the other two example sentences I wrote, too.

Fivejedjon · Answer

'They is' is simply wrong.

We do not use 'vertically' or 'horizontally' when we are talking about where people are sitting or standing relative to other people. We use prepositions such as next to, behind, in front of, above, below, diagonally opposite,

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you. Let's imagine you're playing a game and have drawn a 4 by 4 grid on the board. Then you place the letter "A" in a square and lays down a rule that A should not be next to ther letter that follows it, which is "B," either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Does the sentence below correctly reflect that? I don't think so, mainly because of the underlined part.

A is never next to B, neither vertically, horizontally nor diagonally.

I feel that the underlined part should be "either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally" since the clause before it has the word "never," which makes it negative in meaning. And there should be another "nor " before "horizontally.' If by chance we have to use the phrase "neither vertically, nor horizontally, nor diagonally" in a sentence, there shouldn't be commas between the words "vertically," "horizontally" and "diagonally," thus making the correct phrase like this: "neither vertically nor horizontally nor diagonally." Thank you in advance for your help. Any help from you would be appreciated.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousI feel that the underlined part should be "either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally" since the clause before it has the word "never," which makes it negative in meaning.

You can do that. Yes. That's probably how I'd say it.

AnonymousAnd there should be another "nor " before "horizontally.'

It's not necessary. In fact, you can have neither vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, using the same principle as you did in the previous example, namely that the scope of "neither" extends through the rest of the sentence.

Anonymousmaking the correct phrase like this: "neither vertically nor horizontally nor diagonally.

On the contrary, you almost always need commas when you list a series of elements.

CJ

Neither nor or either or or not

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