When do we use "nor" and when "or"?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi,

Could anyone please tell me which one of the following sounds correct? [b]

1- I do not think she is capable enough. Or her brother for
that matter.[/b]

2- I do not think she is capable enough. Nor her
brother for that matter.

Regards

Tom

2

For me the second is better,nor is used for emphasis the statement in negative sentences that’s why it’s better to join both sentences in one: I do not think she is capable enough, nor her brother for that matter.

3

I?d rather say:

I do not think she or her brother are capable enough for that matter.
…or

I do not think she is capable enough for that matter. Nor is her brother.

As regards a and b, I like neither, but if I had to choose one, it would be b, definitely.

4

Thanks everybody a lot!

Dear Amy

Your views???

Tom

5

Hi Tom

I think I’d prefer to use “nor”, but your sentence isn’t very clear:
I do not think she is capable enough. Nor her brother for that matter.

It could mean “I don’t think she is capable enough. Nor does her brother (think she’s capable enough) for that matter.”

Tere’s idea of using the word “is” after “nor” could work if you want to say that “her brother isn’t capable enough either”.

That’s two completely different meanings. So, which one do you actually want to say, Tom? :wink:

If you want to say that her brother agrees with you, then you should say:
I do not think she is capable enough. Nor [color=blue]does her brother for that matter.

Amy

6

Neither of the original choices is grammatically correct, though they would be appropriate if they were quoted in dialogue. “Or her brother for that matter,” is a sentence fragment. My understanding is that “nor” is used when neither of two options is the case, “or” when one or the other is true or acceptable, etc.

7

also in the following constructions

not either A or B e.g I can choose either apple or orange juice to drink. - You are able to either of them, not both to drink. Choose them exclusively.

neither A nor B e.g I like neither apple nor orange. You dislike both of them.

Am I correct?

8

[color=darkred]I agree with Anna. And to my opinion it would be better to rephrase the sentence into “I think neither her nor her brother is capable for that matter”.

Maryann

9

Maryann said: “I agree with Anna. And to my opinion it would be better to rephrase the sentence into ‘I think neither her nor her brother is capable for that matter‘.“

First, the quotation marks would go outside the punctuation. I would also put the nonrestrictive clause first, “For that matter, I think that neither she nor her brother is capable.” (Not “her” as “she” is the subject of the clause) It is simply clearer (it is not simply a particular matter for which they are not capable). However, for non-formal writing some of the emphasis implied by using two separate sentences is lost. In fiction or dramatic writing “Nor is her brother, for that matter,” or even “Nor her brother, for that matter!” might be acceptable, even preferable.

10

Yeah, there should have been “she” instead of “her”, I didn’t notice my mistake.

11

Hello everyone,

Tom’s original sentences were unclear because it was not possible to say with certainty what the second sentence (fragment) meant in his examples.
However, in the following examples the meaning is clear:

  1. I do not think X is possible. Nor does he.
  2. I do not think X is possible. Neither does he.

There is no difference in meaning. In both 1 and 2, the second sentence means that both he and I think X is impossible.

I would say your first example is not quite right. The fact that you added the word “not” at the beginning is confusing. “Not either” usually means “also not”. Otherwise, your understanding seems to be good.

  1. You can have either an apple or an orange. (Please note that the word “not” is nowhere to be found in this sentence.)

Sentence 3 means that you can have one or the other. It does not say explicitly that you cannot have both, though that may be implied.

  1. You can have neither an apple nor an orange.
    Sentence 4 negates both options. It means that both things are not allowed.

  2. Sally: I’m not tired.
    [color=white]…Anna: I’m not either.
    That means that both Sally and Anna are not tired. In other words, neither Sally nor Anna is tired.

[size=92]“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
— Abraham Lincoln[/size]