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Unit 89 · Pronouns and determiners

both / both of neither / neither of either / either of

Study

A

We use both/neither/either for two things.

You can use these words with a noun (both books, neither book etc.).

For example, you are going out to eat. There are two possible restaurants. You say:

›

Both restaurants are good. (not the both restaurants)

›

Neither restaurant is expensive.

›

We can go to either restaurant. I don't mind. (= one or the other, it doesn't matter which)

›

I haven't been to either restaurant before. (= not one or the other)

You can also use both/neither/either without a noun:

›

'Which do you prefer, basketball or tennis?' 'It's hard to say. I like both.'

›

'Is your friend British or American?' 'Neither. She's Australian.'

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'Do you want tea or coffee?' 'Either. I don't mind.'

B

We use both of / neither of / either of + the/these/my/Tom's … etc. So we say 'both of the restaurants', 'both of those restaurants' etc. (but not both of restaurants):

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Both of these restaurants are good.

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Neither of the restaurants we went to was expensive.

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I haven't been to either of those restaurants.

You don't need of after both. So you can say:

›

Both of these restaurants are good. or Both these restaurants are good.

We also use both of / neither of / either of + us/you/them:

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(talking to two people) Can either of you speak Russian?

›

I asked two people how to get to the station, but neither of them knew.

We say 'both of' before us/you/them (you need to use of):

›

Both of us were tired. (not Both us were …)

After neither of … a verb can be singular or plural:

›

Neither of them is at home. or Neither of them are at home.

C

You can say:

both … and … Both Chris **and** Paul were late.
I was **both** tired **and** hungry when I arrived home.
neither … nor … Neither Chris **nor** Paul came to the party.
There was an accident outside our house, but we **neither** saw **nor** heard anything.
either … or … I'm not sure where Maria's from. She's **either** Spanish **or** Italian.
**Either** you apologise, **or** I'll never speak to you again.
D

Compare either/neither/both (two things) and any/none/all (more than two):

There are **two** good hotels here. There are **many** good hotels here.
You could stay at **either** of them. You could stay at **any** of them.
We tried **two** hotels. We tried a **lot** of hotels.
**Neither** of them had a room. **None** of them had a room.
**Both** of them were full. **All** of them were full.

Exercises (5)

0/5 exercises checked
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89.1

Complete the sentences with both/neither/either.

  1. 1
    'Do you want tea or coffee?'
    ' . I really don't mind.'example
  2. 2
    'What day is it today – the 18th or the 19th?'
    ' . It's the 20th.'
  3. 3
    a: Where did you go on your trip – Korea or Japan?
    b: We went to . A week in Korea and a week in Japan.
  4. 4
    'Shall we sit in the corner or by the window?'
    ' . I don't mind.'
  5. 5
    'Where's Lisa? Is she at work or at home?'
    ' . She's away on holiday.'
  6. 6
    'Is it true that Kate speaks Spanish and Arabic?'
    'Yes, she speaks fluently.'
89.2

Complete the sentences with both/neither/either. Use of where necessary.

  1. 1
    my parents are from Egypt.example
  2. 2
    To get to the town centre, you can walk along the river or you can go along the road. You can go way.
  3. 3
    I went to Carl's house twice, but times he wasn't at home.
  4. 4
    Tom's parents is English. His father is Polish and his mother is Italian.
  5. 5
    I saw an accident this morning. One car drove into the back of another. Fortunately driver was injured, but cars were badly damaged.
  6. 6
    I have two sisters and a brother. My brother is working, but my sisters are still at school.
89.3

Complete the sentences with both/neither/either + of us / of them.

  1. 1
    I asked two people how to get to the station, but
    knew.example
  2. 2
    I was invited to two parties last week, but I couldn't go to .
  3. 3
    There were two windows in the room. It was very warm, so I opened .
  4. 4
    Sam and I often play tennis, but we're not very good. can play well.
  5. 5
    I tried two bookshops for the book I wanted to buy, but had it.
89.4

Write sentences with both … and … / neither … nor … / either … or ….

  1. 1
    Chris was late. So was Pat.
    example
  2. 2
    He didn't say hello, and he didn't smile.
    example
  3. 3
    It was a boring movie. It was long too.
    The movie
  4. 4
    Joe doesn't have a car. Sam doesn't have one either.
  5. 5
    Emily speaks German and she speaks Russian too.
  6. 6
    Ben doesn't watch TV and he doesn't read newspapers.
    Ben
  7. 7
    Is that man's name Richard? Or is it Robert? It's one of the two.
    That man's name
  8. 8
    I don't have time to go on holiday. And I don't have the money.
    I have
  9. 9
    We can leave today or we can leave tomorrow – whichever you prefer.
    We
89.5

Complete the sentences with neither/either/none/any.

  1. 1
    We tried a lot of hotels, but of them had a room.example
  2. 2
    Sam has two sisters, but I haven't met of them.
  3. 3
    Emily has four brothers, but I haven't met of them.
  4. 4
    There were a few shops in the street, but of them was open.
  5. 5
    Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey – have you been to of these countries?
  6. 6
    I could meet you next Monday or Thursday. Would of those days suit you?
  7. 7
    Mark and I couldn't get into the house because of us had a key.