nor

[abcdeflearn]

I have never said anything bad about you or your sentences.



never = negative


So is " or" correctly used in the sentence?


I found this book on the net.
Good Housekeeping‎ - 第 208 頁 (http://books.google.com/books?id=2p40D6JfZr8C&q=i%E3%80%80can%27t+swim+nor+cook&dq=i%E3%80%80can%27t+swim+nor+cook&ei=ryQDSr_IL5uskATV3uTiBA&hl=zh-TW)

1894
But, John," said Marguerite one day, " I cannot cook at all ; I can't make bread
, nor cook a chop, nor fry a codfish ball. Nor make a cup of coffee, ...
摘錄 - 關於此書 (http://books.google.com/books?id=2p40D6JfZr8C&dq=i%E3%80%80can%27t+swim+nor+cook&ei=ryQDSr_IL5uskATV3uTiBA&hl=zh-TW) - 加入我的圖書館 (http://books.google.com/books?op=add&hl=zh-TW&sig=ACfU3U1keJmclcvCXOTGRgAhVW3_OSlC4Q&uid=11643554538786621626&id=2p40D6JfZr8C&continue=http://books.google.com/books%3Fhl%3Dzh-TW%26q%3Di%25E3%2580%2580can%27t%2Bswim%2Bnor%2Bco ok&hl=zh-TW) - 更多版本 (http://books.google.com/books?q=editions:0H9LV_qdQC5gL-WFR0&id=2p40D6JfZr8C&hl=zh-TW)


How come " can't" = negative and nor= negative can be put together?





Thanks

[Marius Hancu]

comma: use nor
no comma: use or

I have never said anything bad about you or your sentences
I have never said anything bad about you, nor about your sentences

The examples are both OK.

[OddThomas]

Marius's explanation, because it is accurate for most purposes and simple, is splendid.

I want to point out the difference between the simple conjunction and the coordinating conjunction.

When nor is a simple conjunction, linking two objects (for example) the way and does, it cannot follow a negative verb without creating the double negative conflict. The following sentence is incorrect for that reason: I didn't eat the cookies nor the ice cream. The nor should be or: I didn't eat the cookies or the ice cream. Another way to fix that sentence would be to make the verb positive and use negatives on both words this way: I ate neither the cookies nor the ice cream.

When nor is a coordinating conjunction, linking two clauses the way for, and, but, or, yet, and so do, it really must follow a negative verb, or a verb with a negative implication. The purpose for nor in sentences of this type is to continue and extend the negative thought. Here is an example: I didn't eat the cookies, nor did I eat the ice cream. (Note the required comma in a sentence that uses a coordinating conjunction--see the rule that Marius supplied.)

In Marius's example, I have never said anything bad about you, nor about your sentences, when we use the comma (and we must use nor) then nor about your sentences is a reduced clause whose full form is nor [have I ever said anything bad] about your sentences. If we omit the comma, then about your sentences becomes the other half of a compound prepositional phrase with about you, linked by nor, and nor should suddenly be or. Marius's rule applies again: I have never said anything bad about you or your sentences.

[abcdeflearn]

Thank you, guys.:)

[Bridget]

I didn't eat the cookies nor the ice cream.

Often, I think that's just ellipsis at work. So, it might only be ungrammatical in the written form.

I didn't eat the cookies nor <did I eat> the ice cream.