{"id":64119,"date":"2021-03-09T00:06:39","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T00:06:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lingobest.com\/free-online-english-course\/?p=64119"},"modified":"2022-12-19T09:40:45","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T09:40:45","slug":"neither-either-both-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lingobest.com\/free-online-english-course\/neither-either-both-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"Neither, Either, Both: Rules to Use These Words in English"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Being able to express your preference when presented with options is important for anyone who is learning a new language. In English, we use three words to do that: neither, either,<\/em> both<\/em><\/strong>. In this blog post, we will go over each one of them, explain the difference between neither <\/em>or either<\/em><\/a> in English<\/strong>, and help you understand how to use these terms. Let\u2019s get started! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pronouncing neither<\/em> or either<\/em> in English<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we get started, let\u2019s take one thing out of the way: the either neither<\/em> pronunciation<\/a> difference<\/strong>. Many students question what is the right way to pronounce neither <\/em>or either<\/em> in English. Maybe you\u2019ve heard these words being pronounced before and noticed that some people say \u201ceether\u201d and some say \u201caither\u201d. The same happens to neither: you will hear both \u201cneether\u201d and \u201cnaiether\u201d. Now, what\u2019s the right one? The answer is: both!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, you can pronounce these words both ways in English. It\u2019s important to say that this is not a difference between American English and British English. People who were born in the same city can pronounce it differently. So, you can decide which pronunciation you like better. For me, it\u2019s more natural to say \u201ceether\u201d and \u201cneether\u201d, but that doesn\u2019t mean I will never say it the other way. It\u2019s up to you, my friend! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"english<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rules for both<\/em> in English: referring to two things <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Imagine that a friend calls you and asks you if you want to have dinner at your favorite restaurant or go to the movies to watch that film you are dying to see. Seems like a complicated choice, right? So you go ahead and say: Can we do both? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both<\/em> in this sentence means that you like the two options that were given and you would like to do both activities instead of choosing just one.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both <\/em>and pronouns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can also use both <\/em>to refer to two things that were already mentioned in the dialogue. For instance, your roommate asks you \u201cAre your mom and dad coming to the party tomorrow night?\u201d<\/em> Here are some possible answers you can give to indicate that they are going to the party: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Yes, my mom and dad are coming. <\/li>
  • Yes, my parents are coming. <\/li>
  • Yes, they both <\/strong>are coming. <\/li>
  • Yes, both of<\/strong> them are coming. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Notice that you have four options. The first is just repeating the words \u201cmom and dad.”<\/em> You could substitute that word for the plural form, which is \u201cparents\u201d<\/em> in this case. Better yet, you can use both<\/em>, which refers to your mom and your dad in this case. Besides that, you can also choose to say \u201cthey are both coming\u201d<\/em> or \u201cboth of them are coming\u201d.<\/em> They both mean the same thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The rule for using both<\/em> is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     <\/td>1st person plural<\/strong><\/td>2nd person plural<\/strong><\/td>3rd person plural<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
    Subject pronoun + both<\/em> + verb<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>We<\/span><\/strong> <\/mark>both sing.<\/td>You<\/strong><\/span> <\/mark>both sing.<\/td>They<\/span><\/strong> <\/mark>both sing.<\/td><\/tr>
    Both of<\/em> + object pronoun + verb<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>Both of us<\/span><\/strong> <\/mark>sing.<\/td>Both of you<\/span><\/strong> <\/mark>sing.<\/td>Both of them<\/span><\/strong> <\/mark>sing.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"neither,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Here are a few more examples of both<\/em> in English<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Which one is better: Harvard or Yale? 
      I guess they are both<\/strong> good schools. 
      Both<\/strong> of them are great universities. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      1. Do you want to visit Paris or Barcelona? 
        I would love to visit both<\/strong>. 
        I like both<\/strong> cities. Can we visit both<\/strong>? <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \"neither,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
        1. Is the Wilson library closer to your dorm? I thought the undergraduate library was closer. 
          They are both<\/strong> close, actually. 
          No, both<\/strong> libraries are 5 minutes away. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Either<\/em>: when both options are good <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Now let’s take a look at neither<\/em> and either<\/em> rules<\/strong> in English. Sometimes all options that are offered to us look good. In this case, we would use either… or<\/em> to say that we don\u2019t really have a preference, since both options are ok. For instance: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          • I am not sure if I should hire Joanna or Paula. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            They both have great backgrounds. Either<\/strong> Joanna or<\/strong> Paula is going to be a great asset to our team. In this case, you could also say: \u201cThey both have great backgrounds. <\/em>Either<\/em><\/strong> one of them is going to be a great asset to our team.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            You can also use either<\/em> in situations like this one below. Let’s have a look at how to use either in a sentence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            • Do you want Coke or Sprite? 
              Either<\/strong> one is good. I\u2019ll have what you\u2019re having. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              Either<\/strong> usually has a positive connotation, since one of the options offered will eventually be chosen. However, we can also use either<\/strong> to agree with a negative statement. When we do that, the sentence must be negative as well. Here are some examples: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              • I\u2019m not going to class today. 
                Yeah, I won\u2019t go either<\/strong>.  <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                • I am not feeling very well today. 
                  I\u2019m not feeling great either<\/strong>. <\/li>
                • I am not hungry.
                  Yeah, I’m not hungry either<\/strong>. Let’s just grab a coffee.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  Neither<\/em> in English: when none of the options is good <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  Now you know more about either <\/em>grammar in English. And what about neither<\/em>? Keep reading to know when to use neither or either<\/strong>. Neither<\/em> means not + either<\/strong>. We will use neither<\/strong> to disagree with both options given to us. For instance, let\u2019s imagine that you are vegetarian. If someone asks you \u201cDo you prefer chicken or fish?\u201d<\/em>, you will say \u201cNeither. I\u2019m vegetarian.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Neither<\/em> + noun + nor <\/em>+ noun + verb<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                  Another common use of this word is with the word nor<\/em>. In this form, these words actually create a conjunction in English. Neither…nor<\/em> means that two options are not good for us. Check out the meaning of neither<\/em><\/strong> with this example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  • Are Julia and James coming to the movies? 
                    Neither<\/strong> Julia nor<\/strong> James are going. They have lots of homework to finish. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    We also use neither<\/strong> to agree with a negative sentence. In this case, the sentence must not<\/strong> contain a negative word. Let\u2019s look at the examples we work with above when giving examples with either<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    • I\u2019m not going to class today. 
                      Option using \u201ceither\u201d: Yeah, I\u2019m not going either. (We must use a negative word, I\u2019m not <\/strong>in this case) 
                      Option 1 using \u201cneither\u201d: Yeah, me neither<\/strong>. 
                      Option 2 using \u201cneither\u201d: Neither<\/strong> am I. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      We have two options. The first one, \u201cme neither\u201d, is informal. It can\u2019t be used with any other subject besides \u201cme\u201d, though. The other option needs to follow this structure: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      Neither<\/em> + auxiliary verb + subject <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                      The most common use of neither<\/em> in English is actually to agree with someone in a negative context. The structure is a little bit different though, so look at some examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      • She\u00a0doesn\u2019t<\/strong>\u00a0like cheese.<\/mark>\u00a0<\/mark>
                        Neither\u00a0do<\/strong>\u00a0I.\u00a0\u00a0
                        Neither\u00a0does<\/strong>\u00a0my mom.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                        • I\u00a0can\u2019t<\/strong>\u00a0drive.<\/mark>
                          Neither\u00a0can<\/strong>\u00a0I.\u00a0<\/li>
                        • He\u00a0is not\u00a0<\/strong>working today.
                          Neither\u00a0is<\/strong>\u00a0Adam.\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                          • My friends won’t<\/strong> go to the party.
                            Neither will<\/strong> I. (= I will also not)
                            Neither will<\/strong> Julie. (= Julie will also not)
                            Neither will<\/strong> my parents. (=They will also not)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                            The rule to use neither<\/em> to agree is that you repeat the auxiliary verb from the original statement. The first word is always neither<\/em>, then you say the auxiliary verb in the positive form <\/strong>(do, does, is, are, can, will, did<\/em>, etc.), and the last word is the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            \"neither,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                            Practice time!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                            Let’s practice using neither, either, both<\/em> with this exercise below. Good luck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n