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Penicillin Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

Question in neither

Hello

What do these sentences mean:

- Neither machine works.

- You won't find it hot, but neither will you be freezing cold.

Thanks
  

Top answer

Neither means "not either (of two things)". So in your first sentence there is an indirect reference to two machines (you need more context here, because you won't find a statement like that all by itself without a referent somewhere), and both of the machines do not work. In your second sentence, two states are mentioned (hot and cold), and the person being spoken to is being told that it won't be cold and it won't be hot.

— EnglishRaven

  • Neither means "not either (of two things)".
  • So in your first sentence there is an indirect reference to two machines (you need more context here, because you won't find a statement like that all by itself without a referent somewhere), and both of the machines do not work.
  • In your second sentence, two states are mentioned (hot and cold), and the person being spoken to is being told that it won't be cold and it won't be hot.
  • So why use neither?
  • Language is functional and finds its own ways to be efficient with the least amount of words (especially in spoken English).
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1 Answers
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Neither means "not either (of two things)".

So in your first sentence there is an indirect reference to two machines (you need more context here, because you won't find a statement like that all by itself without a referent somewhere), and both of the machines do not work.

In your second sentence, two states are mentioned (hot and cold), and the person being spoken to is being to
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