Neither/Either

Question

Hello,A.  Neither Lisa nor her sister has made the decision as yet.B.  Neither Lisa nor her parents have made the decision as yet.C.  I had coffee with Paul and Sam yesterday.  Neither has found a job yet.1.  Please advise if the sentences above are correct.2.  Should it always be a singular verb after the pronoun 'Neither/Either' like 'has' in sentence C?3.  Is it also possible to use a plural verb with pronoun 'Neither/Either' like in the following example?  Are the sentences below correct?D.  I had coffee with Paul and his brothers.  Neither have found a job yet.E.  I had coffee with Paul's brothers and Sam's sisters.  Neither have found a job yet.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

1. Please advise if the sentences above are correct.-- Yes, they are.

2. Should it always be a singular verb after the pronoun 'Neither/Either' like 'has' in sentence C?- Formally, yes.

3. Is it also possible to use a plural verb with pronoun 'Neither/Either' like in the following example? Are the sentences below correct?-- Informally, yes; they are in common use.

The American Heritage Dictionary says this:

"The traditional rule also holds that neither is grammatically singular: Neither candidate is having an easy time with the press. However, it is often used with a plural verb, especially when followed by of and a plural: Neither of the candidates are really expressing their own views.·"

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you so much for your helpful response.

Mister MicawberHowever, it is often used with a plural verb, especially when followed by of and a plura

1. Since it says above that it's often or commonly used with a plural verb, I believe it doesn't mean that it should be used when followed by of and a plural. Please confirm if I've got this right.

2. If true, the following are correct?

Neither of the candidates are really expressing their own views. (Informal)
Neither of the candidates is really expressing their own views. (Formal)

If my understanding of the sentences above is correct, I would use the plural verb in similar sentences in casual conversations.

Mister Micawber · Answer

You've got it right, but of course you can use either form in conversation.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you, Mister Micawber, for that confirmation. I'm glad I've got it right.

I just have some questions regarding the interpretation of sentence E.

AnonymousE. I had coffee with Paul's brothers and Sam's sisters. Neither have found a job yet.

Suppose Paul has two brothers and Sam has two sisters, do you think the pronoun 'neither' refers to the two brothers and the two sisters, ie. neither (of the four)?

Or does the pronoun 'neither' refers only to the two sisters, ie. neither (of the two), because 'neither' is positioned right after "Sam's sisters"?

Again, I understand that both "have" (informal) and "has" (formal) are correct in either of the interpretations.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Except in very informal situations (i.e. in conversation when the sentence is blurted out in that form), the sentence should be recast to at least 'neither pair has/have' or 'neither he nor they have'.  There is no excuse for leaving such a questionable structure in a good sentence.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you.  This is perfectly clear to me now. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Neither/Either

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