Writing for business - neither/nor - Writing for Business
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» VIEW ALL POSTS Oct 1 2008   12:34PM GMT

Writing for business - neither/nor



Posted by: Margaret Rouse
Business writing, neither / nor
tux.jpg Which is correct?

I would like to say once again that __________ have issues with the decision to move to Linux.
a. neither me or the systems operator
b. neither the systems operator or I
c. neither the systems operator nor I

Answer: c

In written English, neither is paired with nor and either is paired with or.

Choice a is incorrect because the sentence requires a subject pronoun (I) instead of an object pronoun (me).  If you’re not sure about whether to use I or me,  remove the other noun from the sentence and see if it still makes sense.  You would not say “me have issues with the decision.”

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TPLTX70  |   Oct 1 2008   9:38PM GMT

Technically, none of the three options are correct. When you use a “neither/nor” usage, it’s the same as using “each.” Hence, the verb should be “has” and not “have”.

Either way, thanks for helping folks improve.


 
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