neither they

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of a sentence "neither they" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is often used as an introductory phrase in a sentence to indicate that the statement applies equally to two or more people or things. Example: Neither they nor their parents were aware of the situation. In this example, "neither they" is used to introduce the subject of the sentence (they and their parents) and to indicate that both parties were unaware of the situation.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Neither they nor the boy really understand the arrangement.

The New York Times

(Neither they nor the judge would comment on his remarks).

The New York Times

Neither they nor the Beeb were inclined to comment.

Independent

"Most academics do neither — they float in between.

The New York Times - Books

Neither they, nor Mr. Heginbotham, can sing, although they do.

The New York Times - Arts

Neither they nor Hussain had ever been charged with anything.

The New Yorker

Neither they nor their pants were screaming, "Unzip me".

The New York Times

Neither they nor us should feel manipulated," he says.

The Guardian

Neither, they insist, is trying to challenge the NT.

The Guardian

And neither they nor the waiter asked us".

The New York Times - Food

Neither they nor the banks that lend to them want to take on extra risk.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "neither they", ensure that the subsequent 'nor' clause maintains grammatical parallelism for clarity and consistency.

Common error

Avoid using "neither they" with 'or' instead of 'nor'. The correct correlative pair is "neither"..."nor", not "neither"..."or".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "neither they" functions as a correlative conjunction, connecting two negative elements. It introduces the first element in a pair, indicating that what follows applies negatively to both. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness and common usage of this construction.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Science

27%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Academia

3%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "neither they" is a grammatically correct and frequently used correlative conjunction that serves to connect two negative elements. It indicates that whatever follows applies negatively to both the group referred to by "they" and another entity, as validated by Ludwig AI. The phrase is most commonly found in news and media contexts, although its neutral register makes it suitable for various writing styles. When using "neither they", remember to maintain grammatical parallelism in the subsequent clause and avoid mismatched conjunctions. Alternatives such as "nor do they" and "they also do not" can provide stylistic variation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

nor do they

Emphasizes negation with an inversion of the auxiliary verb.

they don't either

A more informal way of expressing the same negation.

they also do not

Directly states the absence of an action or characteristic.

they too do not

Similar to 'they also do not', but with a slightly different emphasis.

not even they

Highlights surprise or exception regarding the group's exclusion.

they certainly don't

Emphasizes the certainty of the negation.

they in no way

Formal and emphatic way to indicate no involvement.

they do not at all

Stresses the completeness of the negation.

they are not

Expresses a negative state or condition.

they haven't either

Indicates that something has not been experienced or completed.

FAQs

How can I use "neither they" in a sentence?

Use "neither they" to indicate that a statement is true for a group and another related element. For example, "Neither they nor their friends were aware of the risks."

What's a formal alternative to "neither they"?

In formal contexts, consider alternatives like "nor do they" or "they also do not". These options maintain a professional tone while conveying the same meaning.

How does "neither they" differ from "not even they"?

"Neither they" simply indicates a shared negative condition. "Not even they", on the other hand, emphasizes surprise or that a certain group was expected to be different, conveying a stronger sense of exception.

Can I use "neither they" with a singular subject?

While grammatically acceptable, it can sound awkward. It's better to rephrase the sentence to use "neither he/she" or restructure the sentence for better clarity. For example: Rather than saying "Neither they nor he knew.", consider "None of them knew."