minus-square@[email protected]linkfedilink4•1 day agothink of the positive version of the sentence and it becomes more obvious it should be is: “Either of us is going” Or, to further stress the point, turn it into a question: “Is either of us going?” The subject is not us, it’s “either of us”, which is singular
minus-square@[email protected]linkfedilink7•edit-21 day agoProblem is: “Are either of us going” sounds right too. Either is not always singular - Either the Red Sox or the Yankees are going to win tonight, not Either the Red Sox or the Yankees is going to win.
minus-square@[email protected]linkfedilink4•1 day agoFair, didn’t think of that. If x or y in “either x or y” is plural, the whole phrase is plural. Either the Red Sox or the Yankees are going to win, either their team or ours is going to win. Thanks for pointing it out!
think of the positive version of the sentence and it becomes more obvious it should be is:
“Either of us is going”
Or, to further stress the point, turn it into a question:
“Is either of us going?”
The subject is not us, it’s “either of us”, which is singular
It’s neither, nor either.
Problem is: “Are either of us going” sounds right too.
Either is not always singular - Either the Red Sox or the Yankees are going to win tonight, not Either the Red Sox or the Yankees is going to win.
Fair, didn’t think of that. If x or y in “either x or y” is plural, the whole phrase is plural. Either the Red Sox or the Yankees are going to win, either their team or ours is going to win.
Thanks for pointing it out!