nor

The word "nor" is a conjunction. It joins together words or clauses. In some ways it’s similar to "and" and "or," but it’s used for negative situations. It’s not an easy word to use, so if you don’t feel comfortable using "nor," you can easily speak English without it; however, it’s a good idea to become familiar with "nor" because you will hear it and you see it in print.

• She’s not at school today, nor is her brother.

The strange thing about "nor" is the placement of the verb when "nor" is used as a coordinating conjunction. The verb comes right after "nor" in a sentence like the one above. If you don’t use "nor," the sentence might look like this:

• She’s not a school today, and neither is her brother.
• She’s not at school today, and her brother isn’t either.

Here are some more examples:

• They don’t like this situation, nor do I.
• He can’t play the piano, nor can she.
• Neither he nor she can play the piano. (The word "nor" is often used with "neither.")
• Neither I nor you need to fill out this form.
• I’m not planning on buying a new car, nor am I planning to get a used car.

Published on November 22, 2011