Which one is correct?
1. Neither anything changed nor we were informed.
2. Neither changed anything nor were we informed.
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This is a fairly meaningless question. Given the correct context, both sequences are syntactically fine. But note that #1 isn't a valid sentence - as it stands, it's just a verb clause without a subject.– FumbleFingersCommented Sep 2, 2020 at 11:17
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Welcome to English Language & Usage. As your question stands, it is a request for proofreading (which is off topic, and therefore likely to be closed). Which one do you think is correct? Which one have you encountered before? Please state your research into which one you think is correct and why.– rajah9Commented Sep 2, 2020 at 11:40
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1 Answer
Neither ... nor ... constructions must be balanced.
- Neither John nor Ali was to blame..... Neither John nor Ali was to blame.
- We saw neither Alice nor Farzana..... We saw neither Alice nor Farzana.
- The bat is neither fish nor fowl..... The bat is neither fish nor fowl.
- I neither saw nor heard the explosion..... I neither saw nor heard the explosion.
- He neither saw the crowd nor heard the shouting..... He neither saw the crowd nor heard the shouting.
When neither starts the sentence and the verbs differ, it's almost certain that either passives or do-support must be used (so neither example above is a valid sentence):
- Neither was Jack charged nor Jill released.
However, this sounds at best old-fashioned and very formal. And according to @Colin Fine at a related thread (Neither-nor in a {Neither was A V1-d nor B V2-d}sentence), even with two passives these sentences are marginally grammatical.
Less contentious, perhaps, is a sentence using do-support (probably with deletion of the second do):
- Neither do the sons ever return to their homeland nor the bereaved mothers cease their weeping.
This is even more archaic and literary in register.
answered Sep 2, 2020 at 11:43
