8.144 two negative facts

When you want to link two negative clauses, you usually use 'and'.

• When his appointment ceased he did not return to his home country and he has not been there since 1979.

However, you can use 'or' when the clauses have the same subject and the same auxiliaries. In the second clause, you omit the subject, the auxiliaries, and 'not'.

For example, instead of saying 'She doesn't drink and she doesn't smoke', you can say 'She doesn't drink or smoke'.

• We will not pay ransom or do deals for hostages.
• He didn't yell or scream.

You can also link negative clauses by using 'and neither', 'and nor', or 'nor'. You put 'be' or the auxiliary at the beginning of the second clause, in front of the subject.

For example, instead of saying 'My sister doesn't like him, and I don't like him', you can say 'My sister doesn't like him, and neither do I'.

• I was not happy and neither were they.
• I could not afford to eat in restaurants and nor could anyone else I knew.
• Clearly these people are not insane, nor are they fools.

'But neither' and 'but nor' can also be used.

• This isn't a dazzling record, but neither is it rubbish.
• Institutions of learning are not taxed but nor are they much respected.

When you use 'and' to link two negative statements, you can put 'either' after the second statement.

• I hadn't been to a pop festival before and Mike hadn't either.
• Electricity didn't come into Blackhall Farm until recently and they hadn't any water either.

For emphasis, you can join two negative clauses by using 'neither' and 'nor'. This use is explained in paragraph 8.186.