Correct usage of neither/nor vs. not/and + usage of was/were

Since I am not a native speaker, I would like to consult with you. Which version would be the correct one? (I am translating a text in informal style) There were neither hair dryer, shower gel, nor shampoo in the room. There was neither hair dryer, shower gel, nor shampoo in the room. There were … Read more

Unusual usage of ‘no sooner … than …’

I’ve encountered a sentence where they would no sooner [A] than they’d [B] apparently means they would rather [B] than [A] I’ve read that the construction ‘no sooner [A] than [B]’ is used to describe a situation where an event [A] is followed immediately by [B]. Because of that, according to my intuition, if I … Read more

“Has he come yet’” vs “Has he not come yet?”

I referred to the Michael Swan’s Practical English Usage, regarding the use of yet as an adverb (chapter 539.3 yet). The following examples are given below: The postman has not come yet. Has the postman come yet? Is supper ready yet? He explains that yet is used in the negative sentences and positive questions. He … Read more

Either or Neither in sentence with another negative

I am writing something where I want to say the following: I have never visited either Scotland (n)or England. I couldn’t find information about this on either this site (n)or any other site on Google, including the other questions I found on this site, to answer this question specifically. Most other sources never touch on … Read more

Are articles pronouns?

I’d like to know whether articles are a kind of pronoun. I believe that "a/an" should be an indefinite pronoun because "a" is similar to "any", and "the" should be a definite pronoun. For example: I need an answer I need any answer The two words above are similar, but have some differences. In the … Read more

“aware of no independent” or “not aware of any independent”?

Should I say: I am aware of no independent research on the topic. or I am not aware of any independent research on the topic.? I would naturally opt for the second form, but I’ve seen and heard the first one used as well. What are the differences between these two sentences and are they … Read more

Using anymore in the positive

I have used the term and have heard the term anymore used in the positive. For example: I use Apple anymore. I use Windows anymore. My co-workers “yelled” at me because I was using anymore incorrectly. I should use it as: I don’t use Apple anymore. I don’t use Windows anymore. I’m from Pittsburgh originally … Read more

The multiple meanings of “any” in different circumstances

I am confused about the different usages of the word (any* depending on the particular circumstance, and would appreciate some clarification. For instance, if I make the statement I have more chocolate than any of you. I would be implying that I have more chocolate than each and every one of you. However, if I … Read more

Does “So as long as” mean the same as “Just as long as” in this sentence?

I have a question regarding a sentence in this Meta post: Votes reversed by the detection script can be re-cast by the user at a later time, so long as the user does not again engage in serial voting which causes them to be reversed (yet again). It says “so long as the user does … Read more

The difference between ‘I don’t know nothing else’ and ‘I know nothing else’

What is the difference between the following? I don’t know nothing else and I know nothing else There’s a don’t in the first sentence, however both sentences translated the same in google translator. So, are they used interchangeably? Answer Standard Englishes (all of them) do not allow so-called "double negatives" like your first example, which … Read more