I know the correct statement is "He likes neither apples nor oranges", but I also know that we can say "He does not like apples or oranges" and this puts the negation before the verb and it sounds better to me like that, with a negation before the verb. Therefore, for me, "He neither likes apples nor oranges" sounds better than "He likes neither apples nor oranges". Logically, I see it as a shortcut for "He neither likes apples nor likes oranges", the second "likes" being implicit. So, my question is: in day to day usage among native English speakers does putting neither before the verb in this sentence can be OK or does it sounds weird? I don't care about rules. I care about how it sounds and that ordinary people can understand.

I know the correct statement is "He likes neither apples nor oranges", but I also know that we can say "He does not like apples or oranges" and this puts the negation before the verb and it sounds better to me like that, with a negation before the verb. Therefore, for me, "He neither likes apples nor oranges" sounds better than "He likes neither apples nor oranges". Logically, I see it as a shortcut for "He neither likes apples nor likes oranges", the second "likes" being implicit.

My question is: in day to day usage among native English speakers does putting neither before the verb in this sentence sound OK or does it sound weird? I don't care about rules. I care about how it sounds and that ordinary people can understand.

I know the correct statement is "He likes neither apples nor oranges", but I also know that we can say "He does not like apples or oranges" and this puts the negation before the verb and it sounds better to me like that, with a negation before the verb. Therefore, for me, "He neither likes apples nor oranges" sounds better than "He likes neither apples nor oranges". Logically, I see it as a shortcut for "He neither likes apples nor likes oranges", the second "likes" being implicit. So, my question is: in day to day usage among native English speakers does putting neither before the verb in this sentence can be OK or does it sounds weird?

I know the correct statement is "He likes neither apples nor oranges", but I also know that we can say "He does not like apples or oranges" and this puts the negation before the verb and it sounds better to me like that, with a negation before the verb. Therefore, for me, "He neither likes apples nor oranges" sounds better than "He likes neither apples nor oranges". Logically, I see it as a shortcut for "He neither likes apples nor likes oranges", the second "likes" being implicit. So, my question is: in day to day usage among native English speakers does putting neither before the verb in this sentence can be OK or does it sounds weird? I don't care about rules. I care about how it sounds and that ordinary people can understand.