Is ‘Neither’ Singular or Plural? How to Use ‘Neither’

The word “neither” means “not either” or “also not.” English speakers use the word “neither” to mean “not one or the other.” This negative statement applies to either two subjects or objects, such as nouns, verbs, pronouns, or adjectives. Using the correlative conjunctions “neither/nor” is equivalent to the negative form of “either/or.”

Using “neither” saves speakers and writers from using repetitive and grammatically incorrect double negatives.

According to the formal rules of American English grammar, “neither” is a singular conjunction and requires the use of the singular verb form. (It often means “not one or the other” in the context of a sentence.) Use “neither” to denote each part of a pair of words (whether a singular noun or singular verb) rather than referring to both of them collectively.

However, the word “neither” can also negate two things collectively, especially as part of a prepositional phrase when the conjunction “of” follows it. For example, “Neither of them were ready to begin.” In this case, you may use “neither” as a plural pronoun in informal writing or speech. However, using the plural form of “neither” can look like a typo in formal writing.

There are a few rules to follow to ensure the proper use of the word “neither,” whether you’re learning English for the first time or brushing up on grammar rules.

• Use the proper subject-verb agreement: In the English language, the subject-verb agreement states that a verb’s number (singular or plural) must match the number of the subject performing it. The same applies to sentences using “neither” to refer to part of the subject. “Neither” is a singular conjunction, and it will most often require the usage of the singular verb form. Some people use the plural verb form in casual speech, even though it does not adhere to the correct subject-verb agreement.
• Use it as a determiner: “Neither” can be a determiner when it precedes a noun, clarifying that the two separate singular nouns did not perform an action. For example, the sentence, “Neither film has a strong lead actor,” compares two films but refers to them individually, which is why the singular form of the verb “have” (instead of “has”) is correct. Alternatively, writers and speakers can use “none” as a determiner, but this refers to two or more of a general number of subjects.
• Make it a correlative conjunction: Writers and speakers can use “neither/nor” as connecting words between two sentence clauses, setting up a compound subject. In this case, the verb should adopt the same number (either the plural or singular form) as the closest subject in the sentence. For example, in the sentence, “Neither the books nor the shelf has been delivered,” the closest noun (“the shelf”) to the verb (“has”) requires the usage of the singular form of the verb. If you reversed the word order so that the sentence read, “Neither the shelf nor the books have been delivered," the plural noun “books” demands the plural verb “have.”

Refer to these example sentences to understand the proper usage of the word “neither.”

1. 1. “Neither Michael nor Eleanor was present for the class.” This sentence clarifies that both subjects (Michael and Eleanor) were not in attendance for the class. Though the noun phrase refers to two subjects, the sentence treats them as individuals, requiring the singular verb “was.”
2. 2. “Neither house was the right choice for my family.” In this sentence, the speaker identifies that both houses did not fit their family’s needs. It makes the singular verb “was” the correct word choice.
3. 3. “We would love to attend the party, but neither of us is free.” The speaker in this sentence is part of the collective subject “we,” and the main clause of the sentence “neither of us is free” indicates that both parties implied in the subject are not available to attend the party.

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