(1) ①neither用作代词,作主语或宾语,指“(两者中)哪个也不”。
- Neither of us could help laughing.
我们两个都禁不住笑起来。 - I tried on two dresses, but neither of them fits me.
我试穿了两件衣服,但一件也不合适。
②作主语时,后面的动词多用单数,但口语中有时也可用复数。
- Neither of the books is of any use to me.
这两本书哪一本对我都没有什么用处。 - I quite agree with you that neither are suitable for a newspaper.
我十分赞成你的意见,两篇中哪一篇都不适合报纸采用。 - Neither of my sisters are very tidy.
我的两个妹妹都不十分整洁。
③可用作主语的同位语。
- I beg that neither of you say anything about it.
我请求你们俩谁也不要对此事说什么。 - He bought two books that neither of them are very good.
他买了两本书,都不是太好。
④还可用作定语。
- Neither sister (=neither of the two sisters/neither of them) was willing to nurse the sick child. 两姐妹谁也不愿护理这个生病的小孩。
⑤有时用于独立结构。
- We sat down, neither of us in high spirits.
我们俩坐了下来,谁也没有好心情。
(2) neither和nor均可用于句首或简短答语中,意为“也不”,句子倒装。这样用时,两者无差别,只是nor在正式文体中不如neither常用。
- A: I can't swim.
我不会游泳。
B: Neither can I.
我也不会。 - A: Jack didn't like the book.
杰克不喜欢这本书。
B: Nor did we.
我们也不喜欢。 - The unions do not want a strike, and neither do the management.
工会不希望罢工,管理层也不希望如此。
(3) not...either可用来代替neither或nor。
- A: I can't swim.
我不会游泳。
B: I can't either .
我也不会。 - I don't like him and I don't like her either .
我既不喜欢他,也不喜欢她。
(4) neither与nor连用,用作连词,意为“既不……也不”,可以:
①连接两个主语。
- Neither your aunt nor I have any other thought but what is best for you.
你的姑妈和我,除了思考怎么对你最好,谁也没有其他想法。
*这时,要注意谓语和邻近的主语在数上一致:
- Neither he nor we know how to spell the word “alligator”.
我们和他谁都不知道如何拼写 “alligator”。
②连接两个宾语。
- They have neither steam heat nor running water.
他们既无暖气也无自来水。 - We had neither money nor time.
我们既没有钱也没有时间。
③连接两个表语。
- He felt neither frightened nor sorry.
他既不感到害怕,也不难过。 - He was neither clever nor stupid, but good enough at his work.
他既不聪明也不愚蠢,但很善于工作。
④连接两个谓语。
- He neither drinks nor smokes.
他不喝酒也不吸烟。 - Energy could be neither created nor destroyed.
能量既不能被创造,也不能被消灭。
⑤连接两个状语。
- Paul came just at the right time, neither too early nor too late.
保罗来得正是时候,不早也不晚。 - They work neither for fame nor for personal gain.
他们工作既不是为名,也不是为利。 - He couldn't sleep, neither at night nor in the daytime.
他白天晚上都不能入睡。