/In the meme: I didn’t study for the exam. I also did not study./
1. What does me too mean?
Me too means that the same thing is true for you. You share the other person’s feeling, experience or wish. It is a short, friendly reply in everyday conversation.
For example:
- I like dancing.
- Me too.
Or:
- I don’t like noisy people.
- Me neither.
After a negative statement, use me neither to make your meaning clear. Here, both speakers dislike noisy people.
Me too works no matter what grammar tenseis used
- I loved cycling when I was a child.
- Me too.
Or:
- I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast!
- Me neither. Let’s go out for lunch together!
Use me too after a positive statement and me neither after a negative statement. Both are informal replies.
Now buckle up, because we are about to make things more complicated!
2. Agreeing with a negative statement: neither do I
For a more complete reply to a negative statement, use neither + auxiliary verb in the right form + I.
An auxiliary is a helping verb. Match the helping verb to the first sentence: do, did, have, am, will and so on. With an ordinary verb in the present simple, use do; in the past simple, use did. With be, repeat the right form of be.
For example, we say neither do I in a dialogue
- I don’t like travelling alone.
- Neither do I.
Sometimes we must say Neither have I
- I haven’t got a phone on me.
- Neither have I.
But:
- I don’t have a phone on me.
- Neither do I.
Or Neither am I
- I’m not hungry.
- Neither am I.
In the future it will be Neither will I
- I will not kiss the ring!
- Neither will I!
In the past: Neither was I.
- I wasn’t paying attention in my English lesson.
- Neither was I…
And in present perfect too: Neither have I
- I haven’t seen her for ages!
- Neither have I!
The neither construction also works with other people
- He’s not interested.
- Neither is she…
- Neither are they.
What about nor?
In the sentences above, you can just as well say nor instead of neither:
- Nor have I.
- Nor do I.
- Nor was I.
and so on. All of this means “me neither”.
Nor can also introduce agreement with a negative statement. For this lesson, practise the useful pattern neither + helping verb + person.
Shortcut: Me neither.
There is also a shortcut phrase.
For all the very elegant “me neither” options with neither, you can use one simpler phrase that may be a little less literary but is also correct:
- Me neither.
Is Me either correct?
Of course, you may hear native speakers say, for example:
- I don’t like reggae.
Me either!
You may hear this informal reply, especially in American English. For a clear reply that works across different varieties of English, use me neither or neither do I. You can also put either at the end of a full negative sentence:
- I don’t like reggae either.
For the subtleties of either… or and neither… nor, read the separate article:
And as usual, how do we agree with an affirmative sentence?
3. Agreeing with a positive statement: so am I
To agree with a positive statement, you can also use so + helping verb + person. Choose the helping verb that fits the first sentence. Me too is still a perfectly natural informal reply.
So am I
- I’m starving!
- So am I!
So do I
- I love strawberries!
- So do I!
[Notice that our do is hidden in the sentence I do love strawberries – this is how we would say it if we wanted to add emphasis to our love for these tasty red fruits.]
So have I
So have I is used for sentences in the present perfect continuous tense:
- I have been waiting for two hours!
- So have I!
Or in the present perfect:
- I have already seen her somewhere.
- So have I.
But notice that in sentences with have in the present simple tense, we use do:
- I have a nice girlfriend.
- So do I.
Why?
Because, as we already know, the auxiliary verb do is already hidden in this sentence:
- I do have a nice girlfriend.
- So do I.
So can also appear in other tenses, for example in past simple:
So was I
- He was so happy.
- So was I.
So did I
- She came late.
- So did I.
And in future tenses, for example in future simple:
So will I
- I will start learning English!
- So will I!
Both so and neither can also be used with modal verbs such as can or would
- I can do it!
- So can I.
And in the negative: Neither can I
- I can’t do it…
- Neither can I…
So would I is also possible
- I’d like to go to a restaurant.
- So would I.
And the negative is neither would I
- I wouldn’t like to be in her shoes now.
- Neither would I.
Do you also learn English?
The most important thing, however, is to build the habit of using these, and all other, phrases, words, and grammar structures. Reading helps you understand the patterns. Speaking practice helps you use them without stopping to build every sentence in your head. At some point, you need to open your mouth!
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Your turn: a friend says “I’m tired.” Which reply fits: “so am I” or “neither am I”? Now try “I don’t like getting up early.” Write your replies in the comments!
Meme with a dog from Eng4team1
