3

I don't want to go out, neither am I interested in going to your place.

Is this sentence correct? Can I use "neither" after saying that I don't do something? Most examples that I've seen would be like "Speaker A: I don't... Speaker B: neither do I".

Also, can I use the verb to be in the second clause or it sounds clumsy? Would it be better to say something like:

I don't want to go out, neither do I want to go to your place.

Improve this question
2
  • 1
    The answer is yes in spoken English. We all talk like that.
    – Lambie
    Commented May 13, 2023 at 15:29
  • It would mean exactly the same with nor instead of neither. Why use two syllables when just one will do the job?
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented May 14, 2023 at 0:51

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

Because "neither" is not usually considered a coordinating conjunction, your sentence could be criticized for containing a comma splice. It would be better to use a common coordinating conjunction to join the two main claues:

I don't want to go out, nor am I interested in going to your place.

The use of "to be" sounds fine in that sentence. Your second example sentence would be fine, too, with "nor":

I don't want to go out, nor do I want to go to your place.

Improve this answer
2
  • Terminology isn't my specialist subject, but based on literal reading of the words, I think "neither + nor" should be considered "coordinating" conjunctions, because they coordinate / link together two distinct elements within an utterance (which both share some "negative" attribute). I think they're also called "correlative conjunctions", because the two linked elements correlate through that negative aspect. Same as "both + and" and "not only + but also" share a "positive" attribute, and "whether + or" share the "possible alternative" attribute.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented May 14, 2023 at 0:51
  • @FumbleFingers As you say, "neither" could be considered a coordinating conjunction if it were part of the correlative pair "neither . . . nor". However, that can't be the case with OP's original sentences, because "neither" introduces the second coordinated element of those sentences, not the first.
    – MarcInManhattan
    Commented May 14, 2023 at 19:08
0

Is this sentence correct?

It's nearly correct. There are multiple ways to fix the sentence.

Option 1: Switch to "nor".

  • "I don't want to go out, nor am I interested in going to your place."

  • "Neither do I wish to go out, nor am I interested in going to your place."

Option 2: Add a conjunction such as "and" or "but". In this particular case the result is clunky so I would not recommend it.

  • "I don't want to go out, but neither am I interested in going to your place."

Option 3: Add a period.

  • "I don't want to go out. Neither am I interested in going to your place."

Consider that "nor" is a negation of "or", and "neither" is a negation of "either". Formulating the whole sentence in the positive sense first could clarify the grammar:

"I (either) want to go out, or I'm interested in going to your place.."

Depending on the context, the usage of the "neither" and "nor" may be in an overly literary style. How could you say this in ordinary conversation?

"I don't want to go out. And I'm not interested in going to your place either."

Improve this answer
2
  • Disagree that the OP's version is wrong. Cambridge has this example sentence: "His words to the press were deliberately equivocal - he didn't deny the reports but neither did he confirm them", where "neither" is used with the same function as "nor".
    – gotube ♦
    Commented May 13, 2023 at 19:10
  • Updated the answer
    – Sam
    Commented May 14, 2023 at 21:26

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .