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Which one to use?Beginnerstructurestructure
BothvsNeither / either
'Both' affirms two; 'neither' denies both; 'either' refers to one of two (as a choice) or reinforces negation.
Side-by-side comparison
Both
structure"Both" refers to the two together in an affirmative way. Only for exactly two elements. Never use it in negative sentences.
Both my brother and I love football, so we watch every game together.
She is both a talented singer and a skilled guitarist.
Both the app and the website need to be updated before the launch.
Neither / either
structure"Neither" negates both at once. "Either" has two uses: to choose between two options ("any one of the two"), or to reinforce a negative ("either/neither, too").
Neither the red nor the blue shirt looks good with those trousers.
You can have either the soup or the salad, but not both.
Neither of us had been to Japan before, so everything felt new and exciting.
Common mistake
"I don't like neither of them" is a double negative, incorrect in standard English. Correct: "I don't like either of them" or "I like neither of them", pick one construction.
Trick to remember it
- •"Both" = both (affirmative).
- •"Neither" = neither one (negative).
- •"Either" = either one (choice) or negative reinforcement ("I don't like either").
- •All three apply to exactly two elements only.
Quick rule
- •Never "don't... neither" together (double negative).
- •Use "I don't like either" or "I like neither".
- •For three or more elements use "all", "none", "any".
Did you know?
English's precision for duality (both/neither/either, only for two) is a remnant of Old English, which had three grammatical numbers: singular (one), dual (two), and plural (three or more). Although the grammatical dual disappeared from English centuries ago, its legacy survives in the restriction of these three words to exactly two elements. Spanish has no such restriction, which explains why Spanish speakers often overextend these forms in English.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
I tried the pasta and the pizza. _____ was bad — they were both delicious.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"Can you come on Saturday or Sunday?" "_____ day works for me. You choose."
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
BothvsAll / Every
'Both' refers to two things; 'all' refers to the entirety of a group; 'every' emphasizes each member individually.
EithervsNeither
'Either' refers to one of two (any one); 'neither' refers to neither of the two.
No / NonevsNot any / Not a
'No' and 'none' are independent negative forms; 'not any' and 'not a' are used when the auxiliary is already negative.
AvsAn
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy