So and Neither Practice Tests with A2 Grammar Rules & Examples

So and Neither: Agreeing in English

When we talk to other people, we often want to say that we feel the same way or have the same situation. In English, we use so and neither to do this. These short phrases help us agree with someone quickly and naturally.

Look at these simple examples:

"I like pizza." → "So do I!" (Me too!)
"I don't like spiders." → "Neither do I!" (Me neither!)

We use so to agree with positive sentences (sentences that say something is true).
We use neither to agree with negative sentences (sentences that say something is not true).

In this lesson, you will learn exactly how to use so and neither to agree with other people in English.

A Quick Grammar Note

Before we start, let's understand two important words:

• Positive sentence: A normal sentence with no "not" in it. Example: She is happy.
• Negative sentence: A sentence with "not" or a negative word like "don't", "can't", "isn't". Example: She is not happy.

Also, in these phrases, the subject is the person we are talking about — for example: I, you, he, she, we, they. We always put the subject after so or neither.

Using So: Agreeing with Positive Sentences

We use so when we want to agree with a positive sentence — a sentence without "not".

The Pattern

So + auxiliary verb (or main verb "be") + subject

This might look complicated, but let's break it down with a simple story.

Tom says: "I am tired."
Anna agrees: "So am I."

Anna uses the same verb that Tom uses (am) and puts it after so. Then she adds the subject (I).

Let's look at more examples:

"She likes coffee." → "So do I."
"They are happy." → "So are we."
"He can swim." → "So can she."
"We went to the park." → "So did I."

What Verb Do I Use After So?

The verb you use after so must match the verb in the original sentence. Here is the simple rule:

• If the original sentence uses be (am, is, are, was, were) → use the same form of be.
• If the original sentence uses a modal verb (can, could, will, would, should) → use the same modal verb.
• If the original sentence uses a normal verb in the present (like, love, eat, go) → use do or does.
• If the original sentence uses a normal verb in the past (liked, went, ate) → use did.

So: Examples Table

Original Sentence (Positive)	Agreement with So
I am hungry.	So am I. / So is she.
She was late.	So was he. / So were they.
He likes music.	So do I. / So does she.
They love football.	So do we. / So do I.
She went to school.	So did he. / So did I.
I can drive.	So can she. / So can they.
We will help.	So will I. / So will he.

Using Neither: Agreeing with Negative Sentences

We use neither when we want to agree with a negative sentence — a sentence with "not", "don't", "can't", "isn't", etc.

The Pattern

Neither + auxiliary verb (or main verb "be") + subject

Let's look at a simple story again:

Tom says: "I am not tired."
Anna agrees: "Neither am I."

Anna uses the same verb as Tom (am) and puts it after neither. Then she adds the subject (I).

Let's look at more examples:

"She doesn't like coffee." → "Neither do I."
"They aren't happy." → "Neither are we."
"He can't swim." → "Neither can she."
"We didn't go to the park." → "Neither did I."

What Verb Do I Use After Neither?

The rule is exactly the same as with so. Match the verb from the original sentence:

• If the original uses isn't / aren't / wasn't / weren't → use is / are / was / were (without "not" — neither already makes it negative).
• If the original uses can't, couldn't, won't, wouldn't → use can, could, will, would.
• If the original uses don't / doesn't → use do / does.
• If the original uses didn't → use did.

Neither: Examples Table

Original Sentence (Negative)	Agreement with Neither
I am not hungry.	Neither am I. / Neither is he.
She wasn't late.	Neither was he. / Neither were they.
He doesn't like music.	Neither do I. / Neither does she.
They don't love football.	Neither do we. / Neither do I.
She didn't go to school.	Neither did he. / Neither did I.
I can't drive.	Neither can she. / Neither can they.
We won't help.	Neither will I. / Neither will he.

So and Neither: Side by Side

Here is a simple comparison to help you remember the difference between so and neither:

Situation	Original Sentence	Agreement
Agreeing (positive)	I like cats.	So do I.
Agreeing (positive)	She is tall.	So am I.
Agreeing (positive)	He can cook.	So can she.
Agreeing (negative)	I don't like cats.	Neither do I.
Agreeing (negative)	She isn't tall.	Neither am I.
Agreeing (negative)	He can't cook.	Neither can she.

Another Way to Agree: Me Too and Me Neither

In everyday spoken English, people also use me too and me neither. These are more informal and much simpler.

• Me too = I agree with a positive sentence. (Same as so do I, so am I, etc.)
• Me neither = I agree with a negative sentence. (Same as neither do I, neither am I, etc.)

"I love chocolate." → "Me too!"
"I don't have a car." → "Me neither!"

Me too and me neither are fine in conversation, but so and neither structures are more correct in writing and formal English.

Important Differences and Special Cases

Neither is Already Negative — Don't Add "Not"!

Remember: neither already means "not". You do NOT need to add "not" after the verb.

❌ Neither don't I like spiders.
✅ Neither do I like spiders.

The Subject Comes Last

With so and neither, the word order is different from a normal sentence. In a normal sentence, the subject comes first. But here, the subject comes at the end.

Normal sentence: I am hungry. (subject → verb)
With so: So am I. (so → verb → subject)

Does vs Do

When the original sentence uses does (for he/she/it in the present), use does after so or neither:

"She loves dancing." → "So does he."
"He doesn't eat meat." → "Neither does she."

When the original sentence uses do (for I/you/we/they in the present), use do:

"They love dancing." → "So do we."
"We don't eat meat." → "Neither do I."

Common Mistakes

❌ So I do.
✅ So do I. (The verb comes before the subject.)

❌ Neither don't I like cats.
✅ Neither do I like cats. (Don't add "not" — neither is already negative.)

❌ So does I.
✅ So do I. (Use "do" for I, you, we, they — not "does".)

❌ Neither I do.
✅ Neither do I. (The verb comes after "neither", before the subject.)

❌ "I don't like snow." → "So don't I."
✅ "I don't like snow." → "Neither do I." (Use "neither" to agree with negative sentences, not "so".)

❌ "I love snow." → "Neither do I."
✅ "I love snow." → "So do I." (Use "so" to agree with positive sentences, not "neither".)

So and Neither: Quick Summary

Here are the key points to remember about so and neither:

• Use so to agree with positive sentences (no "not").
• Use neither to agree with negative sentences (with "not", "don't", "can't", etc.).
• The pattern is: So / Neither + verb + subject.
• The verb after so or neither must match the verb in the original sentence (be, do, does, did, can, will, etc.).
• Neither is already negative — never add "not".
• In informal spoken English, you can use me too (positive) and me neither (negative).

Type	Word to Use	Example
Positive agreement	So	"I'm cold." → "So am I."
Negative agreement	Neither	"I'm not cold." → "Neither am I."
Positive (informal)	Me too	"I'm cold." → "Me too!"
Negative (informal)	Me neither	"I'm not cold." → "Me neither!"

Now practise so and neither in the exercises below.