Using "neither" after negative modals

[Reaperjim]

I saw a book in which a sentence was written as follows:

"You shouldn't either play or relax."

This just seems off to me. I have never a structure like this before, and I wanted to see what other people thought. I always thought it would be:

"You should neither play nor relax."

[finley]

Yes, it's wrong, and your version is correct. Alternatively, 'either' could be omitted. And it's a stupid sentence anyway.

[urodacus]

Well, it's not gratuitously, egregiously, devastatingly wrong. It's just a bit off, and some might go so far as to say that it was neither your place nor mine to judge!

[Charlie Jack]

If it's a sin, it seems to be a member of your better class of sins.

The practice of infant baptism was barely commended; and the article on the Lord's Supper expressly affirmed that a faithful believer ought not either believe in or openly confess the real presence and that transubstantiation was an impossibility.

--The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation, Volume 1

[Chris]

"You shouldn't either play or relax."

Yes, it seems off to me too. But I don't think it's grammatically wrong; just unnatural, unidiomatic.

"You should neither play nor relax."

Much better.

[the bear]

"You shouldn't either play or relax."

Yes, it seems off to me too. But I don't think it's grammatically wrong; just unnatural, unidiomatic.

"You should neither play nor relax."

Much better.

The whole neither/nor thing sounds archaic to me. I know its right but at the same time I would never knowingly use it unless in very formal writing.

[Incubus]

And then there's the all-time mistake committed by English native speakers -- Me neither.

[lostinasia]

And then there's the all-time mistake committed by English native speakers -- Me neither.

Hold on - what? So should we say "Me either"? Or do you mean "Neither do I"?

[Dragonbones]

And then there's the all-time mistake committed by English native speakers -- Me neither.

What about this?
Sally: The dog didn't bite me.
Bob: Me neither.

[Incubus]

And then there's the all-time mistake committed by English native speakers -- Me neither.

Hold on - what? So should we say "Me either"? Or do you mean "Neither do I"?

Well, I'd always thought "me either" was the correct way until I saw your post. So I looked it up. And what do you know.

http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/meeither.html

I stand corrected.