Both / Either / Neither
Using both, either, and neither to talk about two things, including paired conjunctions
When to Use Them
Both, either, and neither are used when you are talking about exactly two things — two people, two options, two places, etc.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| both | the one AND the other (two together) | Both candidates performed well in the interview. |
| either | one or the other (it doesn’t matter which) | We can schedule the meeting on either day. |
| neither | not one and not the other (zero of two) | Neither proposal met the budget requirements. |
Notice there is no the before both + noun. You say both offices, not the both offices.
Both / Either / Neither Without a Noun
You can use these words on their own when the two things are already clear from the context.
- There are two open positions. I’d be happy with both. (= the two positions)
- Should we fly or take the train? — Either. I don’t mind. (= one or the other)
- Is the London branch or the Paris branch handling the project? — Neither. The Berlin team is doing it. (= not one, not the other)
Both of / Either of / Neither of
When you add of, the next word must be the, these, those, my, your, or a similar determiner. You cannot say both of restaurants.
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| both of + the/these/my … + noun | Both of the reports were submitted on time. |
| neither of + the/those/his … + noun | Neither of his suggestions was practical. |
| either of + the/these/your … + noun | Has either of the clients responded yet? |
With both, the word of is optional before a determiner. These two sentences mean the same thing:
- Both of the managers agreed.
- Both the managers agreed.
Both of / Either of / Neither of + Us / You / Them
Before pronouns (us, you, them), you always need of.
- The director asked both of us to join the call. (not
both us) - Neither of them had access to the shared drive.
- Can either of you cover the Friday shift?
After neither of, the verb can be singular or plural. Both forms are correct:
- Neither of them is available tomorrow.
- Neither of them are available tomorrow.
Paired Conjunctions: both … and / neither … nor / either … or
You can link two items with these paired structures.
| Pattern | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| both … and … | A + B together | The update affects both the mobile app and the desktop version. |
| neither … nor … | not A + not B | Neither the manager nor the team lead approved the expense. |
| either … or … | A or B (one of the two) | Either the client cancels the order, or we ship it by Friday. |
More examples:
- She was both polite and direct during the negotiation.
- He neither confirmed nor denied the rumour about the merger.
- Either you submit the form today, or you lose your spot in the training.
Both / Either / Neither vs. All / Any / None
Use both / either / neither for exactly two things. When there are more than two, switch to all / any / none.
| Two things | More than two |
|---|---|
| Both offices are open. | All three offices are open. |
| Either of the two suppliers works. | Any of the five suppliers works. |
| Neither candidate passed. | None of the candidates passed. |
Quick Self-Check
There are two meeting rooms available. You can book _____ room — they're both free.
Select your answer:
I invited two colleagues to the lunch, but _____ of them could come.
Select your answer:
The contract must be signed by _____ the client and the supplier before work can begin.
Select your answer:
_____ of the applicants had the required certification, so we extended the deadline.
Select your answer:
I'm not sure where the office is. It's _____ on King Street or on Queen Street.
Select your answer: