Either, neither, both
Introduction
"We have both red and white wine - which would you like?" "Neither, thanks. I'd prefer a beer if you have any."
Definition
Either, neither and both are quantifiers which we use to talk about two things or people.
Construction
There are lots of different structures. Here are some of them:
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Either |
+ singular noun
without a noun
+ two singular nouns
+ of + plural noun
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Either day is OK for me.
Either is OK for me.
Either Monday or Wednesday is OK for me.
Either of those days is OK for me.
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Neither |
+ singular noun
without a noun
+ two singular nouns
+ of + plural noun
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Neither day is OK for me.
Neither is OK for me.
Neither Monday nor Wednesday is OK for me.
Neither of those days is OK for me. |
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Both |
+ plural noun
without a noun
+ two singular nouns
+ of + plural noun
after a noun |
Both days are OK for me.
Both are OK for me.
Both Monday and Wednesday are OK for me.
Both of those days are OK for me.
Those days are both OK for me.
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Note that with 'of', we need to use 'the', a demonstrative, a possessive adjective or a pronoun.
Are either of the candidates suitable?
I've seen both of these films.
Neither of my children likes vegetables. Neither of them likes vegetables
We can use both in this way without 'of' but it is necessary for either and neither:
Both (of) her parents are teachers. 
Neither of her parents are teachers. Neither her parents are teachers. 
Are either of her parents teachers?
Uses
| Use | Examples |
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To talk about two possibilities or choices
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We can have the meeting on either day - I don't mind.
I can offer you either tea or coffee.
Either we invite them here or we can meet in a restaurant.
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To ask two people a question
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Do either of you speak German?
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To respond to or add information to a negative statement
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"I don't like coffee." "Neither do I."/"I don't either."
I'm not going to the meeting and neither is Kerry. I'm not going to the meeting and Kerry isn't either.
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To emphasise a similarity between two things or people |
They both like coffee.
Neither of them likes coffee.
I don't think either of them likes coffee.
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To talk about possible consequences |
Either we improve our performance or we'll lose even more clients.
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To emphasise two related points
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He didn't work hard enough. Neither was he ever on time. |
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To emphasise that not only one but two things or people are involved
Note that we use an affirmative verb with 'neither...nor' and 'both...and' and a negative verb with 'either...or'
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He confirmed neither the date nor the time of the meeting. = He didn't confirm either the date or the time of the meeting.
He confirmed both the date and the time of the meeting.
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Subject verb agreement
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| Singular | Plural |
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both |
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Both are big enough. |
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either |
Either is big enough.
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[see below]
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neither |
Neither is big enough.
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[see below]
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'either of' 'neither of' |
Either of them is big enough. Neither of them is big enough.
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Either of them are big enough. Neither of them are big enough. |
Note that
1. With either and neither we can use a singular or plural verb. In conversation, both are acceptable:
"Have either of you seen my keys?"
but a singular verb is preferred in formal written English:
Neither of our sales targets has been reached.
2. When there is more than one noun, the choice of verb depends on whether the first or second person or thing mentioned is singular or plural:
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When the second noun is singular - singular verb preferred but plural verb acceptable in conversation.
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Either the sales manager or the director is going to attend the conference.
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When the second noun is plural - plural verb. |
Either the director or the sales managers are going to attend the conference.
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When the second noun is singular but the first is plural - a singular or plural verb. |
Either the sales managers or the director is/are going to attend the conference.
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Not only nouns
As well as nouns, we can use either, neither or both to talk about other things, including adjectives and actions:
This car is available in either red or blue.
We can either drive or go by train.
She's neither helpful nor polite.
She can both sing and dance.
Correlative conjunctions
We use 'either...or...'; 'neither...nor...' and 'both...and...' to include two people or things in a sentence or clause:
She has either a brother or a sister - I can't remember.
She has neither a brother nor a sister.
She has both a brother and a sister.
These structures can also be used with verbs:
I'll either reply to my emails this afternoon or do some research; I don't have time for both.
She neither smokes nor drinks.
She both smokes and drinks.
Examples
You can ask either Maria or George for help - they're both experts.
Either you work harder in future or you'll fail your exams.
"I'm not busy on Friday." "I'm not either, so let's meet then."
"I'm not happy with this. Neither am I prepared to put up with it any longer." "We can either send a strong letter or I can call them again."
Do either of you remember taking this turning here?
Both my son and my daughter are driving me mad.
I think either Patty or Estelle is going to win.
I don't know why I took this job - the work is neither interesting nor challenging.
"Would you like tea or coffee?" "I don't mind - either is fine." "Milk? Sugar?" "Neither, thanks."
