Both either and neither are important grammar structures introduced in Primary 4 English. Students often encounter them in grammar exercises, editing tasks, and examination questions.
Understanding how to use either…or and neither…nor correctly can help students avoid common subject-verb agreement mistakes.Students who need additional support with grammar, comprehension and writing can explore our Primary 4 English Tuition Singapore programme for structured, small-group lessons designed to strengthen English foundations.
Using Either…Or
When either is used as a conjunction, it is paired with or.
Example
Either Polly or her sister is going to attend the school concert.
In this sentence, only one of the two people will attend the concert.
Structure
Either + noun + or + noun + verb
Using Neither…Nor
When neither is used as a conjunction, it is paired with nor.
Example 1
Neither Max nor his classmates are going to Jim’s birthday party.
Example 2
Neither Max nor his classmate is going to Jim’s birthday party.
In both examples, the verb depends on the noun that comes after nor.
Subject-Verb Agreement Rule
When using either…or or neither…nor, the verb agrees with the second subject (the noun closest to the verb).
Examples
✅ Neither Max nor his classmates are going to Jim’s birthday party.
- His classmates is plural.
- Use the plural verb are.
✅ Neither Max nor his classmate is going to Jim’s birthday party.
- His classmate is singular.
- Use the singular verb is.
✅ Either the teachers or the principal is attending the meeting.
- The principal is singular.
- Use is.
✅ Either the principal or the teachers are attending the meeting.
- The teachers is plural.
- Use are.
Common Primary 4 Grammar Mistake
Many students mistakenly think that the first subject determines the verb.
❌ Neither Max nor his classmates is going to Jim’s birthday party.
This is incorrect because his classmates is plural.
✔ Neither Max nor his classmates are going to Jim’s birthday party.
Remember:
When using either…or and neither…nor, always look at the second subject (the noun nearest the verb) to decide whether to use a singular or plural verb.
Key Takeaway
As students progress to upper primary, grammar concepts become increasingly important for comprehension and writing. Our Primary 5 English Tuition Singapore programme helps students apply grammar accurately while developing stronger writing and examination skills.
For Primary 4 Grammar, remember these two important rules:
- Either is paired with or.
- Neither is paired with nor.
- The verb agrees with the second subject, not the first subject.
- Check whether the second subject is singular or plural before choosing the correct verb.
Mastering either and neither grammar rules will help students improve their grammar accuracy and perform better in Primary 4 English assessments and examinations.
