The most complete set of differential cross sections &sgr;(&thgr;) and vector analyzing power Ay(&thgr;) for neutron scattering from28Si and32S over the 8 to 40 MeV energy range has been collected and evaluated. These data have been successfully described with the spherical optical model (SOM) and with phenomenological coupled‐channels (CC) calculations. For the case of28Si, various calculations were performed to determine the sensitivity of the data and calculations to the sign of the potential deformation parameters &bgr;2and &bgr;4. Comparisons of the present analyses to the corresponding analyses of proton‐scattering data have yielded interesting results concerning the magnitudes of the Coulomb corrections to the OM potentials for28Si and32S.