Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

Hi Gloria. I'm not a good authority, but since I'm first on the scene
I'll try some linguistic first aid.

As a native speaker, I would use 'neither' when there were exactly two
options (although I think it is valid to say 'neither ... nor ... nor
...'). I would use 'none' if there were more than two options.

Also, whatever the answer is, 'solution' should be 'solutions', since
there was more than one solution. I hope that was just a mis-type.

I hope that helped.

LAM

"Neither" is the usual choice when there are two options.  "None"
indicates more than two options.  While "none" might be technically
acceptable, it leaves the reader thinking there were more options
available than the two specified.

This isn't a "rule" thing.  It's about being clear.

"Solution" should be "solutions", by the way.

This one is badly written all the way through.

ONe day when I was delivering a lecture, I was so nervous that I was a
little light-headed. What is worse, the microphone broke down just
thirty seconds into my speech. To glare

**"To glare" should be "glaring" **

at the unpleasant instrument of my potential failure, I wondered if it
was possible to make it disappear. However, when

**change "when" to "while"**

I was outwardly paralyzed, I

** should be a "was" here**

frantically plottted

*"plotted" is weak  Better would be "searching for" **

the suitable reaction. Should I run from the stage in despair,
or wait for power to return to the microphone? Time seemed to stand
still. I chose ___ of my first quick solution.

a) any   b) either  c) none   d) neither

According to some of the stricter rule books, "neither" is used to
indicate that  only two choices are available. "None" is used when
there are more than two choices. Following that rule, "Neither" is the
corect word here, as there have been only two options given: run from
the stage or wait for the power to come back on.

In  US English, the distinction is no longer quite so clear, and is
very much dependent on region and the level of formality of the
writing or speech.

That paragraph is a disaster.  Let's start by fixing it a little, while
keeping as close as possible to its original form, before we try to
fill in the blank:

"One day, while I was delivering a lecture, I was so nervous that I was
a little light-headed.  What was worse, the microphone broke down just
thirty seconds into my speech.  Glaring at the unpleasant instrument of
my potential failure, I wondered if it would be possible to make it
disappear.  But, while I was outwardly paralyzed, I was frantically
plotting a suitable reaction.  Should I run from the stage in despair,
or wait for power to return to the microphone?  Time seemed to stand
still.  I chose ___ of my first quick solutions."

Now: certainly (d) works as to both sense and grammar.  Equally
certainly, (a) and (b) do not.  Choice (c) can arguably work, but we do
not normally use "none" when the choices are only two.  But even if we
felt it acceptable, there can be no doubt that--since this is a
multiple-choice question with a few set answers--choice (d) is
preferable, as best fitting a situation of strict duality.

That is:

Two choices: I chose neither of them.
Three or more choices: I chose none of them.

(Who writes there bizarre things?)