Confusing Words > both, either, neither

Confusing Words > both, either, neither


BOTH, EITHER, NEITHER
Subjects connected by both meaning two take a plural conjugation.

Examples:

Both Steven and Anthony attended the training.

Mary has two children. Both are married. (both children are married)

Both Frank and Lisa are attending the conference in Chicago this weekend.

Both Sara and Melissa were late.

Last summer I went to Paris and Cannes. I liked both cities very much.

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either … or

'Either … or' is used in sentences in a positive sense meaning "one or the other, this or that, he or she, etc." in other words it is used to offer a choice between two possibilities

Examples:

I’m not sure where Laura is from. She’s either German or Italian.

Would you like tea or coffee? - Either. I don’t mind.

There are two ways from here to the airport. You can go either way.

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neither … nor

'Neither … nor' is used in sentences in a negative sense meaning "not this one nor the other, not this nor that, not he nor she, none of them etc." - in other words it is used to deny both possibilities

Examples:

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

Neither of the restaurants I went to was (or were) expensive.

Neither Mike nor my other friends care about their future.