BOTH- EITHER- NEITHER

Yılmaz AZMAN
Teacher of English
 BOTH
Both refers to TWO people or things.
It has a positive meaning and it
takes a verb in the plural. It’s the
negative of NEITHER/ NOT
EITHER.
EXERCISES
James and Robin are students.

Both James and Robin are students.

They are both students.
Both of them are students.
Both boys are students.
I play the guitar and sing a song.

I both play the guitar and sing a

song.

John can drive a car. Tom can drive

a car.

Both John and Tom can drive a car.

They both can drive a car.
Both of them can drive a car.
Both boys can drive a car.
 ALL
• All refers to more than two people
or things. It has a positive meaning
and takes a verb in the plural. It is
the opposite of none.
 All the children laughed.

 All of them laughed.

 They all laughed.

 All three of them laughed.

 NONE

 None refers to more than two people or things.

It has a negative meaning and isn’t followed
by a noun.

Are there any biscuits left? - no, none.

 How m uch coffee do you want ? – none.
 None of
 None of is used before nouns o r object
pronouns followed by a verb either
singular or plural. It is the opposite of ALL.

 None of us know you.

 None of the students came early.
 None of four boys know how to ride a bike
EITHER / NEITHER

 Either (= any of two)

 Neither (=not one and not the other)

 Either and Neither refer to two people or

things and are used before singular
countable nouns.
 examples

Would you like to drink coke or fanta?

- Either. (it makes no difference.)

- Neither. (none of the two)
 Either of
• Either of + singular / plural noun

• Either of the students is / are intelligent.

• Either of them is / are married.
• Either of us was / were at home last night.
 Neither of
• Neither of + singular / plural noun

• Neither of them is / are at home now.

• Neither of you is / are lazy.
• Neither of us was / were at home last
weekend.
 WORK IN PAIRS. LOOK AT THE PHOTO AND
DECIDE WHETHER THE STATEMENTS
BELOW ARE TRUE OR FALSE.
 Both the mother and the daughter have curly hair.
 Neither of them has red hair.

 Both the father and the

mother have fair hair.
 Neither the son nor the
daughter is happy.
 The father looks either
Latino or Italian.
 Both the daughter and
the son are teenagers.
 It is either spring or Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

summer.
WORK IN PAIRS. LOOK AT THE PHOTO AND
DECIDE WHETHER THE STATEMENTS
BELOW ARE TRUE OR FALSE.
 Both the mother and the daughter have curly hair. TRUE
 Neither of them has red hair. TRUE
 Both the father and the
mother have fair hair.
FALSE
 Neither the son nor the
daughter is happy.
FALSE
 The father looks either
Latino or Italian.
TRUE
 Both the daughter and the
 son
It is are
either spring orTRUE
teenagers. Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
summer. TRUE
 CHOOSE THE CORRECT WAY TO FINISH
THE RULES BELOW.
 Both the mother and the daughter have curly hair.
 Both the father and the mother have fair hair.
 Both the daughter and the son are teenagers.

RULES for “both (… and)”

• It refers to…
• 2 people / things
• more than 2 people / things
• Its meaning is…
• exclusive (one or the
other)
• inclusive (positive)
• inclusive (negative)
•When it is part of the subject, Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

the verb is…

• plural
• singular
 ANSWERS
 Both the mother and the daughter have curly hair.
 Both the father and the mother have fair hair.
 Both the daughter and the son are teenagers.

RULES for “both (… and)”

• It refers to…
• 2 PEOPLE / THINGS
• Its meaning is…
• INCLUSIVE (POSITIVE)
•When it is part of the subject,
the verb is…
• PLURAL

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 CHOOSE THE CORRECT WAY TO FINISH
THE RULES BELOW.
 Neither of them has red hair.
 Neither the son nor the daughter is happy.

RULES for “neither (… nor)”

• It refers to…
• 2 people / things
• more than 2 people / things
• Its meaning is…
• exclusive (one or the
other)
• inclusive (positive)
• inclusive (negative) Image: photostock /
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
•When it is part of the subject, if the
“second” subject (“daughter” in the
example) is singular the verb is…
• plural
 ANSWERS
 Neither of them has red hair.
 Neither the son nor the daughter is happy.

RULES for “neither (… nor)”

• It refers to…
• 2 PEOPLE / THINGS
• Its meaning is…
• INCLUSIVE (NEGATIVE)
•When it is part of the subject, if the
“second” subject (“daughter” in the
example) is singular the verb is…
• SINGULAR Image: photostock /
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
 CHOOSE THE CORRECT WAY TO FINISH
THE RULES BELOW.
The father looks either Latino or Italian.
 It is either spring or summer.

RULES for “either (… or)”

• It refers to…
• 2 people / things
• more than 2 people / things
• Its meaning is…
• exclusive (one or the
other)
• inclusive (positive)
• inclusive (negative) Image: photostock /
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
•When it is part of the subject, if the
“second” subject is singular, the verb
is SINGULAR.
 ANSWERS
The father looks either Latino or Italian.
 It is either spring or summer.

RULES for “either (… or)”

• It refers to…
• 2 PEOPLE / THINGS
• Its meaning is…
•EXCLUSIVE (ONE OR
THE OTHER)
•When it is part of the subject, if the
“second” subject is singular, the verb
is SINGULAR. Image: photostock /
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
 Soulmate

Talk about what are your likes and dislikes and how your
other half likes or dislikes them either.

Both love walking by the beach.

I hate Reading books, neither does he.
Read the question answer with who you SHARE
or DO NOT SHARE the same agreements.
Read the question answer with who you SHARE
or DO NOT SHARE the same agreements.
Read the question answer with who you SHARE
or DO NOT SHARE the same agreements.
Online activities
Either - neither - both: worksheets pdf, handouts,
printable exercises. (agendaweb.org)
 Either… Or
Neither… Nor
Both … And
 Either…… Or
• The expression either … or means to
make a choice between the first one
or the second one.

• E.g. Cassie has to decide. She can either play

soccer or baseball.
 Either…… Or
• Either… or is used to exclude.

• E.g. We could either go to the beach or to the

mountains.
 Either…… Or
• Either is always followed by or.

• E.g. We could choose either sushi or noodles

from the menu.
 Either…… Or
• Either … or is used in a sentence in the
affirmative sense when referring to a choice
between two possibilities.

• E.g. We can either eat now or after the movie.

You decide.
 Either…… Or
• If both elements are singular, then
the verb is singular too.

• E.g. Either the father or the mother has to

attend the meeting. (father and mother are
singular; so the verb has, is singular too)
 Either…… Or
• If one of the elements is plural, then use a
plural verb.

• E.g. Either Sue or the girls are going to

prepare dinner tonight. (the girls is plural; so
the verb are, is plural too)
 Neither … Nor
• Neither … nor is used to join two
negative ideas.

• E.g. I neither smoke nor drink.

 Neither … Nor
• Sometimes more than two ideas are
connected by neither . . . nor.

• E.g. He neither smiled, spoke, nor looked at

me.
 Neither … Nor
• Neither is always followed by nor.

• E.g. Neither Tom, nor Peter could solve the

problem.
 Neither … Nor
• Neither . . . nor is used to deny two
possibilities.
• Neither must be preceded by a positive
statement as we never use two negative
forms in the same sentence.

• e.g.: Wednesday is neither the first nor the last

day of the week.
 Neither … Nor
• Neither . . . nor is used in the
negative sense when you want to say
that two or more things are not true.

• E.g. Neither my mother nor my father went to

university.
 Neither … Nor
• If both elements are singular, then
the verb is singular too.

• E.g. Neither Leila nor Nancy is going to write

the report. (Leila and Nancy are singular; so
the verb is, is singular too)
 Neither … Nor
• If one of the elements is plural, then
use a plural verb.

• E.g. Neither the teacher nor the students

were in the classroom this morning. (the
students is plural; so the verb were, is plural
too)
 Both . . . And
• Both is used to talk about two
people, things, places or actions
within the same context.

• e.g.: Both Peter and Jennifer are from the

United States.
 Both . . . And
• Both refers to the first AND the
second choice.

• E.g. I take both milk and sugar in my coffee.

• This means: 'I take sugar. I also take milk.'
 Either… Or
Neither… Nor
Both … And

• Fill in either: either . . . or, neither . . .nor, or both . . . And.

1. She is pretty clever.
2. This is my offer. You take it leave it.
3. You can use this computer that one. They need to be
repaired first.
4. I have tomatoes onions growing in my garden.
5. You can have Thomas Peter over, but not both.
6. I spoke to the teacher the headmaster about your
problems.
7. You can come with me now walk home.
 Either… Or
Neither… Nor
Both … And
ANSWERS

• Fill in either: either . . . or, neither . . .nor, or both . . . And.

1. She is both pretty and clever.
2. This is my offer. You either take it or leave it.
3. You can neither use this computer nor that one. They need
to be repaired first.
4. I have neither tomatoes nor onions growing in my garden.
5. You can have either Thomas or Peter over, but not both.
6. I spoke to both the teacher and the headmaster about your
problems.
7. You can either come with me now or walk home.