You Say Either and I Say Neither

The conufsion over the use of either/or and neither/nor is widespread and not really such a big deal. Most of the time it doesn't make much of an impact on the statement if you say "either" and never say "or" or "neither and never say "nor." But there are occasions when it can mess things up. That's why it's best to stick to the "either / or neither/nor" principle all the time.

Confused? Don't be It's really simply. The terms "either" and "neither" imply their opposites, so when you start with one half and don't come through with the other, or worse, you come through with something that's NOT the opposite, your reader is left struggling. It's like jumping off the see-saw and letting the other guy crash. Either you use an item of equal weight on the second side, or you run the risk of confusion.