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Teo Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
too/either
A: John's grades are good. B: Mary's grades are not bad, ___.
Which word should I use to fill in the blank, too or either?
Which word should I use to fill in the blank, too or either?
Top answer
Hi, Either. Clive
- Hi, Either.
- Clive
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18 Answers
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Yes. "either".
too goes with affirmatives.
either goes with negatives.
I understand.
I do too.
I don't understand.
I don't either.
In such contexts, they mean the same thing.
CJ
too goes with affirmatives.
either goes with negatives.
I understand.
I do too.
I don't understand.
I don't either.
In such contexts, they mean the same thing.
CJ
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Hi CJ,
I think I do understand what you are trying to say in your reply, but can I ask you one thing?
You said that too goes with affirmative and either goes with negatives. VERY GOOD.
But the original sentences were like this:
A: John's grades were good.
B: Mary's grades are not bad, ___.
Under that context,
I think I do understand what you are trying to say in your reply, but can I ask you one thing?
You said that too goes with affirmative and either goes with negatives. VERY GOOD.
But the original sentences were like this:
A: John's grades were good.
B: Mary's grades are not bad, ___.
Under that context,
00
"not bad" is negative - not in the "goodness or badness in life" type of negative, but it has a NOT.
John's grades were good. Mary's grade's were good TOO. Here good is stated in the positive.
John's grades were awful. Mary's grades were bad TOO. (It's not a GOOD thing, but it's stated in the positive.)
John's grades were good. Mary's grade's were good TOO. Here good is stated in the positive.
John's grades were awful. Mary's grades were bad TOO. (It's not a GOOD thing, but it's stated in the positive.)
00
Thank you.
I agree with you that not bad is a 'negative' sentence and it has a NOT to reflect that, but in as a ??? colloquial sense, not bad could mean 'good.'
A: Hi, you look good. Or You are a very good-looking person.
B: You don't look bad yourself. Or You are not bad yourself.
See, under this rather casually talking situation, one can ded
I agree with you that not bad is a 'negative' sentence and it has a NOT to reflect that, but in as a ??? colloquial sense, not bad could mean 'good.'
A: Hi, you look good. Or You are a very good-looking person.
B: You don't look bad yourself. Or You are not bad yourself.
See, under this rather casually talking situation, one can ded
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Yes, not bad is semantically equivalent to good or somewhat good in many contexts.
The rule about too and either, however, does not operate according to semantic content, but is purely a matter of syntax. Once the sentence has a not, no, never, ... it takes either, not too.
CJ
The rule about too and either, however, does not operate according to semantic content, but is purely a matter of syntax. Once the sentence has a not, no, never, ... it takes either, not too.
CJ
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A: John is too short to be a professional basketball player.
B: Rick is too short to be a professional basketball player, ___>
Which word should I use to fill in the blank, too or either?
B: Rick is too short to be a professional basketball player, ___>
Which word should I use to fill in the blank, too or either?
00
In B, is there a "not"? No. So it takes too.
If it were:
A: John's not tall enough to be a professional basketball player.
B: Rick's NOT tall enough EITHER.
If it were:
A: John's not tall enough to be a professional basketball player.
B: Rick's NOT tall enough EITHER.
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CalifJimThe rule about too and either, however, does not operate according to semantic content, but is purely a matter of syntax.The rule about too and either sometimes operates according to semantic content.
I am not a student. Is he not a student, either?
I am a teacher. Isn't he a teacher, too?
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The rule about too and either sometimes operates according to semantic content.
I am not a student. Is he not a student, either?
I am a teacher. Isn't he a teacher, too?
Until now, our examples have all been statements, not questions. But the too/either part is still res
I am not a student. Is he not a student, either?
I am a teacher. Isn't he a teacher, too?
Until now, our examples have all been statements, not questions. But the too/either part is still res
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