Today's post is short but to the point. This is one that often trips up many of our subscribers.
Either and
neither are versatile words. Each can serve as a pronoun, an adjective, a conjunction, and an adverb. Know another word that can be any of four parts of speech?
When
either or
neither is used as a pronoun, confusion sometimes arises as to what form of verb should follow. The rule: always use the singular form of the verb in phrases and clauses that begin with
either of and
neither of, regardless of the number of the noun that follows.
- When it came to choosing between mango ice cream and Key lime pie, it was a win-win situation. Either of them is delicious! (The single verb form is is required here.)
- But when it came to voting in the recent election, I held my nose and pulled the lever. Neither of the candidates has any experience at running a water ski club, so what does it matter? (The singular verb form hasis required here.)