Grammar

This OR that...

Neither, Nor, Just, Both, Either, Or, Only, Not Only But Also, As Well As...

NEITHER, NOR USED CORRECTLY
She bought neither a new dress, nor an expensive handbag.
She neither bought a new dress nor had her hair done.

INCORRECTLY
Progress will neither be quick nor easy. Progress will be neither quick nor easy. (Adjective/adjective.)

It seems that anyone can qualify for this group nowadays, as long as “you are neither descended from the Saxe-Coburg dynasty nor do your children work up chimneys and smoke Lambert and Butler”. (FT, Jim Pickard, Aug 10)

As long as “you neither descend from the Saxe-Coburg dynasty nor possess children who work up chimneys and smoke Lambert and Butler”. (Verb/verb.)

But that’s inelegant. How’s this?

It seems that anyone can qualify for this group nowadays, unless they’re either descended from the Saxe-Coburg dynasty, or have children who “work up chimneys and smoke Lambert and Butler”.
(If you get stuck in a neither/nor, see if you can switch to either/or.)

Dinner here was neither “too attenuated, nor tried the patience with smart-alecky notions”.Dinner here was neither “too attenuated”, nor over-full of “smart-alecky notions”. (Description/description.)

Anthropologists discover one American who neither thinks Obama is the Messiah or Satan!

Anthropologists discover one American who thinks Obama is neither the Messiah nor Satan. (Proper noun/proper noun.) But he might think Obama is an extraterrestrial...

Anthropologists discover one American who neither thinks Obama is the Messiah, nor imagines he is Satan. (Verb/verb.)


EITHER/OR
Romanian orphans were randomized to receive either foster care or to stay in an orphanage. (Scientific American Jan 08)
Romanian orphans were randomized to receive either foster or orphanage care.

Or you could do this:
...to either receive foster care or stay in an orphanage. (Verb/verb. But now we’ve split an infinitive.)
...either to receive foster care or to stay in an orphanage.

The Tory spin doctor was either “incompetent” – or he is failing to tell the truth.
Either the Tory spin doctor was “incompetent” – or he is failing to tell the truth.
The Tory spin doctor was either "incompetent" or a liar.

Gene therapy would only be considered for a fetus if it has a condition that is either fatal or would cause a great deal of suffering. Gene therapy would be considered for a fetus only if its condition is either fatal or likely to cause a great deal of suffering.


BOTH
It is both popular and costs someone else money.

It is costs? “It both is popular and costs someone else money.” That’s awkward. Lose the "both".

It’s popular – and what’s more, it costs someone else money.

Victims feel that the police are both unaware and indifferent to this crime.

The police are unaware this crime? How about:

Victims feel that the police are both unaware of and indifferent to this crime.

(But how can they be indifferent if they are unaware?)


ONLY
Only ever comb your hair when it's wet.
So you can't comb your hair when it's dry, or you can't brush your hair when it's wet, or you can only comb your hair when it's raining? Or, when it starts raining, you can do nothing but comb your hair?

I think you mean:
Comb your hair only when it is wet. (Keep the “only” next to the bit it governs. This is less ambiguous.)

Guardianistas need only apply! (Amazon review headline)
I think they mean “Only Guardianistas need apply.”


NOT ONLY USED CORRECTLY
Booker took advantage of the real-time capabilities of [Twitter] not only to track streets that still needed plowing and dispatch crews but also to personally show up where needed by the elderly and disabled to help shovel, push out stuck cars, and deliver supplies.

INCORRECTLY
The Seacole campaign has not only changed her occupation, but her race. (History Today)

The Seacole campaign has not only changed her occupation, but altered her race. (Verb/verb.)
The Seacole campaign has changed not only her occupation, but her race. (Noun/noun.)


Now do you understand why sub editors have no time to stress over less and fewer?