Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Not … neither/nor

If a coordinated clause follows a negative clause, neither or nor can be used to

make the subsequent clause negative. In such cases the verb and subject are

inverted:

This is 

not your best set of exam results by any means but 

neither is it

your

worst.

Û

539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Negation | 741

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A: I don’t think their products are particularly reliable.

B: Neither

do I

. 

(or: Nor do I.)

The cottage has 

no central heating, 

nor does it

have a proper boiler.

HARDLY, RARELY, SCARCELY, SELDOM, ETC.

446

Adverbs such as barely, hardly, rarely, scarcely, seldom have quasi-negative

meanings. They are used without not:

They could 

hardly believe their eyes.

(‘They couldn’t hardly believe their eyes’ and similar sentences may occur, but

are considered non-standard)

Examiners are only 

rarely generous in such circumstances.

The results felt 

scarcely worth celebrating.

The committee only very 

seldom makes such awards.

Scarcely anyone turned up, did they?

(Scarcely no one turned up.)

Little

and few function in a similar way:

They go out very 

little these days.

There’s 

little point in asking him, is there?

Few would disagree with the party, I suppose.

There were very 

few people at the cricket match.

Note also that little and few are marked (more emphatic) when compared to 

non-assertive equivalents not much and not many:

He does

n’t have much time for relaxation. 

(non-assertive)

He has 

little time for relaxation. 

(marked)

She did

n’t have many opportunities while working for the previous company. 

(non-assertive)

She had 

few opportunities while working for the previous company. 

(marked)

Û

336a for subject-verb inversion after negative adverbs such as hardly, never,

rarely, scarcely, seldom

A–Z

50 Little, a little, few, a few

742 | Negation

Cambridge Grammar of English

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