Agreement Using So and Neither for English Learners

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The forms So...I and Neither...I are used to agree with statements that other people make. So...I shows that you feel the same way about positive statements:

  • I love ice cream! So do I!

Neither...I shows that a condition in a negative statement is also true for you:

  • Peter didn't finish the homework on time. Neither did I.

Insert an auxiliary verb between so or neither and the subject, to complete the statement.

  • So do I.
  • Neither have I.
  • So will I.
  • Neither am I.

Make sure to conjugate the tense correctly based on the tense of the statement with which you are agreeing. In other words, use the same tense as in the statement with which you agree or show similarity.

  • I won't come to the party next week. Neither will I. (use of the future with will)
  • I've lived in Portland a long time. So have I. (use of the present perfect with have)
  • They didn't like the show. Neither did I. (use of the past simple with did)
  • She works in the city. So do I. (use of the present simple with do)

Using the "So…I" Form

So + Auxiliary Verb + Subject

Use so...I in a positive sense to show that you feel the same way as another person or have performed the same action. Change the auxiliary verb related to the original statement. The form is usually used in the first person singular; however, other forms are also possible.

He flew to Geneva last summer. So did she. (simple past did for simple past verb flew)
I'd love to visit Poland some day. So would I. (
would for the modal would to express a desire)
I'm meeting a colleague tomorrow. So am I. (
am for the helping verb be with the present continuous)

Using the "Neither…I" Form

Neither + Auxiliary Verb + Subject

Use neither...I in a negative sense to show that you feel the same way as another person or that both of you have not performed a particular action. Change the auxiliary verb related to the original statement. The form is usually used in the first person singular, but other forms are possible.

  • I haven't had a promotion for a long time. Neither have I. (use of have for the present perfect tense)
  • They weren't sure they had the resources to complete the job. Neither were we. (The verb be has only the past form was/were and does not take a helping verb.)
  • She won't be able to attend the conference. Neither will I. (use of the future with will)

Disagreeing

If you haven't had the same experience, it's easy to disagree. Just use the opposite form to the statement. Here are a few examples:

  • I don't enjoy playing soccer. / I do.
  • She hasn't lived in Seattle for long. / I have.
  • They aren't going to enjoy themselves. / We are.

Grammar Forms

Here is an overview chart of each form by tense in English.

TenseIYouHeSheWeThey
Present simpleSo do I. / Neither do I.So do you. / Neither do you.So does he. / Neither does he.So does she. / Neither does she.So do we. / Neither do we.So do they. / Neither do they.
Present continuousSo am I. / Neither am I.So are you. / Neither are you.So is he. / Neither is he.So is she. / Neither is she.So are we. / Neither are we.So are they. / Neither are they.
Present perfect / Present perfect continuousSo have I. / Neither have I.So have you. / Neither have you.So has he. / Neither has he.So has she. / Neither has she.So have we. / Neither have we.So have they. / Neither have they.
Past simpleSo did I. / Neither did I.So did you. / Neither did you.So did he. / Neither did he.So did she. / Neither did she.So did we. / Neither did we.So did they. / Neither did they.
Past continuousSo was I. / Neither was I.So were you. / Neither were you.So was he. / Neither was he.So was she. / Neither was she.So were we. / Neither were we.So were they. / Neither were they.
Past perfect / Past perfect continuousSo had I. / Neither had I.So had you. / Neither had you.So had he. / Neither had he.So had she. / Neither had she.So had we. / Neither had we.So had they. / Neither had they.
Future with will / Future continuous / Future perfect / Future perfect continuousSo will I. / Neither will I.So will you. / Neither will you.So will he. / Neither will he.So will she. / Neither will she.So will we. / Neither will we.So will they. / Neither will they.
Future with going toSo am I going to. / Neither am I going to.So are you going to. / Neither are you going to.So is he going to. / Neither is he going to.So is she going to. / Neither is she going to.So are we going to. / Neither are we going to.So are they going to. / Neither are they going to.

Do you understand the rules? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

So do I / Neither do I Quiz

1. I don't like classical music. __________ I.
2. She bought a new car last year. __________ I.
3. They haven't been to a museum in years. __________ she.
4. I'm going to take a few weeks off for vacation this summer. __________ I.
5. Her brother had already written the report by the time the professor requested the work. __________ I.
6. I can't understand what he's saying. __________ I.
7. I haven't had a steak in a long time. __________ I.
8. They've been working since early this morning. __________ he.
9. The computer isn't working. __________ this one.
10. The students would like to take a break. __________ we!
11. We had been at the beach for hours before she arrived. ________ I!
Agreement Using So and Neither for English Learners
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Agreement Using So and Neither for English Learners
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