English Dialogue And Exercise: 'So' vs 'Neither'

Dialogue

It's Saturday evening. Jim and Betty have been working in the garden all day. They're sitting in the living room after dinner.

Jim: "I've worked so hard today, Betty!"

Betty: "So have I, Jim! I haven't even read this morning's paper."

Jim: "Neither have I! Where is it?"

Betty: "Oh, I think it's on top of refrigerator in the kitchen. Would you mind getting it, Jim? I'm too tired to move."

Jim: "I don't really want to read it."

Betty: "Well, neither do I. You know, my back is quite sore."

Jim: "So is mine. I planted a lot of young plants this afternoon."

Betty: "I didn't stop working all the afternoon."

Jim: "Neither did I. And by three o'clock my back was aching!"

Betty: "So was mine. I wasn't able to stand up straight for quite a while afterwards."

Jim: "Neither was I. My whole body feels sore."

Betty: "So does mine. I won't plant any more young plants for a while."

Jim: "Neither will I. I'd like to rest for hours now."

Betty: "Jim, you shouldn't work so hard in the garden in future."

Jim: "Neither should you. But we both like to have flowers in the house. At any rate, I like to see flowers in the house."

Betty: "Oh, so do I, Jim. But we can't afford to buy flowers all the time. ... Oh, well, perhaps we'll feel better tomorrow."

Jim: "Perhaps! What are we going to do tomorrow, Betty?"

Betty: "If it's fine, I wouldn't mind going for a drive in the car."

Jim: "Neither would I. Let's ask Hadi and Yati to go for a drive with us. Hadi likes going for a drive."

Betty: "So does Yati. She'll enjoy a drive in the country."

Jim: "They're both fond of the country."

Betty: "We can take a picnic lunch, and perhaps we could go to National Park. I'd like that."

Jim: "So would I. Hadi has been there, hasn't he?"

Betty: "Yes, and so has Yati. But I don't mind how often I go there."

Jim: "Neither do I. It's a very pleasant place, with all those lovely trees."

Betty: "Oh, I'm looking forward to it! My back feels better already."

Jim: "So does mine. I'll go and phone Hadi immediately."

Betty: "And when you've phoned Hadi, I'll phone Yati. Tell Hadi we'll call for him at half past nine tomorrow morning."

Jim: "All right, Betty."

Betty: "I'll get the newspaper. I'll need it while you're talking to Hadi."

Exercise

A. Multiple Choice Questions

Answer the following questions by choosing the correct option.

1. Have Jim and Betty worked hard today, or have they been idle?
   1. They've worked hard.
   2. They've been idle.
   3. Only Jim has worked hard.
   4. Only Betty has worked hard.
2. Have they read the newspaper?
   1. Yes, they read it this morning.
   2. No, they lost the newspaper.
   3. Yes, they read it after dinner.
   4. No, they haven't read it yet.
3. Where is the newspaper?
   1. On the coffee table.
   2. On the refrigerator in the kitchen.
   3. On the dining table.
   4. In the car.
4. Why wouldn't Jim or Betty get the newspaper?
   1. They don't know where it is.
   2. They can't find it.
   3. They're too exhausted to move.
   4. They're already reading something else.
5. How did their back feel?
   1. Strong and healthy.
   2. Perfectly fine.
   3. Quite sore.
   4. Slightly stiff but okay.
6. What did they do in the garden?
   1. They mowed the lawn.
   2. They planted flowers and young plants.
   3. They trimmed the hedges.
   4. They built a shed for plants.
7. What are they going to do tomorrow?
   1. Go shopping.
   2. Work in the garden again.
   3. Stay home and rest.
   4. Go for a drive.
8. Who is Jim going to call?
   1. Hadi.
   2. Yati.
   3. His brother.
   4. Their neighbor.
9. Who is Betty going to call?
   1. Yati
   2. Her sister.
   3. Hadi.
   4. Their neighbor.
10. Do Hadi and Yati like going for a drive?
    1. No, they prefer staying home.
    2. Yes, they both enjoy it.
    3. Only Hadi enjoys it.
    4. Only Yati enjoys it.
11. Where will they go?
    1. To a shopping mall.
    2. To a beach.
    3. To the National Park.
    4. To their friend's house.
12. Are they going to eat in a restaurant or are they going to take a picnic lunch?
    1. Eat in a restaurant.
    2. Take a picnic lunch.
    3. They haven’t decided yet.
    4. Order food delivery.
13. What time will Jim and Betty pick Hadi up tomorrow morning?
    1. 8:00 a.m.
    2. 9:30 a.m.
    3. 10:00 a.m.
    4. 11:00 a.m.
14. What will Betty do while Jim is talking to Hadi?
    1. Make coffee.
    2. Call Yati.
    3. Prepare a picnic basket.
    4. Read the newspaper.
15. What do Jim and Betty like to see in the house?
    1. Flowers.
    2. Fresh fruits.
    3. Paintings.
    4. Photographs.

B. Sentence Completion

Complete the following sentences using "so" or "neither".

1. Jim likes gardening, and does Betty.
2. Betty didn’t stop working in the garden, and did Jim.
3. I was tired after dinner, and was Jim.
4. I haven’t read today’s newspaper, and has Jim.
5. Betty won’t plant flowers tomorrow, and will Jim.
6. Adi: I like mangoes.
   Jaka: do I.
7. Hendra: Santi doesn't live near here.
   Udin: does Tari.
8. Kiki: I haven't had lunch. I'm so hungry.
   Ovin: have I.
9. Tasya: I didn't understand what he was saying.
   Dena: did I. I think he spoke too fast.
10. Rio: My office has applied new policies as a response to Covid-19 outbreak.
    Lily: has mine.
11. Yudi: I couldn't go out of town due to the travel restriction.
    Gita: could I.
12. Maya: My father works in a private company.
    Elsa: does my father. He often has to work on Sundays.
13. Dea: Ahmad didn't attend the meeting yesterday.
    Joni: did Hans, his supervisor.
14. Umi: Many students aren't prepared for online learning during the pandemic.
    Tika: are teachers. Most of them are still adapting to new technologies.
15. Yana: Eating nutritious food is very important in maintaining our health.
    Sita: is having regular exercise. A little exercise every day can help us stay healthy.

C. True or False Exercise

Decide whether the following statements are true or false.

1. Jim and Betty worked in the garden all day.
   1. True
   2. False
2. Jim wants to read the newspaper immediately after dinner.
   1. True
   2. False
3. The newspaper is on the coffee table in the living room.
   1. True
   2. False
4. Both Jim and Betty have sore backs from gardening.
   1. True
   2. False
5. Jim planted some young plants in the afternoon.
   1. True
   2. False
6. Betty stopped working in the garden at 2:00 p.m.
   1. True
   2. False
7. Jim is going to call Yati, and Betty is going to call Hadi.
   1. True
   2. False
8. They plan to go for a drive with Hadi and Yati tomorrow.
   1. True
   2. False
9. Hadi and Yati enjoy spending time in the country.
   1. True
   2. False
10. Betty’s back feels better by the end of the dialogue.
    1. True
    2. False

Updated: Jan 24, 2025
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