so + auxiliary + subjectUse this after a positive statement. Keep the same auxiliary pattern as the first sentence.
So / Neither / Nor Responses
B1Use so + auxiliary + subject after a positive statement, and neither/nor + auxiliary + subject after a negative one. Match the auxiliary and invert the order.
What you'll learn
- Respond to a positive statement with so + auxiliary + subject.
- Respond to a negative statement with neither/nor + auxiliary + subject.
- Choose the auxiliary that matches the first sentence.
- Put the auxiliary before the subject in the short response.
- Show the same idea without repeating the full clause.
Structure
neither/nor + auxiliary + subjectUse this after a negative statement. Neither and nor both work in this short response pattern.
Build a sentence
Auxiliary
Subject
sodoI
Leo likes spicy food, and so do I.
Use so + do + subject after a positive sentence in the simple present or past when do-support is needed.
When to use
Same positive idea
One person says something positive, and you want to say it is true for another person too. Emma can drive, and so can Leo.
Same negative idea
One person says something negative, and you want to show the same is true for someone else. Maya doesn't smoke, and neither does Chris.
Avoid repetition
Use the short pattern instead of repeating the whole clause. Dan was late, and so was Nina is shorter than Dan was late, and Nina was late too.
Markers
soneithernortooeither
Common mistakes
Wrong
Ava likes jazz, and so I do.
Correct
Ava likes jazz, and so do I.
After so, put the auxiliary before the subject.
Wrong
Tom was tired, and so do I.
Correct
Tom was tired, and so was I.
Match the auxiliary or be verb from the first sentence.
Wrong
Mia doesn't eat meat, and so do I.
Correct
Mia doesn't eat meat, and neither do I.
After a negative statement, use neither or nor, not so.
Wrong
Sara has finished, and so I have.
Correct
Sara has finished, and so have I.
The short response uses auxiliary + subject, not subject + auxiliary.
Wrong
Nina can swim, and so does Mark.
Correct
Nina can swim, and so can Mark.
If the first sentence has a modal, use the same modal in the response.
Common misconceptions
❝ I can use so after any sentence if I mean the same thing. ❞
Use so after positive statements. After negative statements, use neither or nor instead.
❝ I need to repeat the whole verb phrase to agree with someone. ❞
You can use a short response with so, neither, or nor to express the same idea more naturally.
Skills in this rule (6)
SO_FOR_SAME_POSITIVEw5Use so + auxiliary + subject after a positive statement
When you want to say your situation is the same after a positive sentence, start with so, then use the matching auxiliary, then the subject. Match the tense and auxiliary from the first sentence.
NEITHER_NOR_FOR_SAME_NEGATIVEw5Use neither or nor + auxiliary + subject after a negative statement
After a negative sentence, use neither or nor to agree with the negative idea. Keep the same auxiliary pattern as the first sentence.
MATCH_THE_AUXILIARYw5Choose the same auxiliary or be verb as in the first sentence
Copy the helping verb from the first sentence: be, do, have, or a modal. If there is no visible auxiliary in a simple present or simple past sentence, use do, does, or did.
PUT_AUXILIARY_BEFORE_SUBJECTw4Put the auxiliary before the subject in the response
In these short responses, the auxiliary comes first and the subject comes after it. Do not keep normal statement order.
USE_SHORT_RESPONSES_TO_SHOW_SAME_IDEAw3Use short responses to show the same idea without repeating the whole clause
Use so, neither, or nor when the second speaker or second clause has the same positive or negative situation. This avoids repeating the full sentence.
PICK_NEITHER_OR_NORw2Recognize neither and nor as equivalent choices in this pattern
In short agreement responses after a negative statement, neither and nor both work. The word order stays the same with both.