Both, Either, and Neither

These determiners are used when talking about two people or things. In order not to confuse one for the other, you should know when each should be used.

The determiner “both” means “this” and “that,” whereas “either” means “this” or “that.” On the other hand, “neither” means not “this” or “that.”

With this explanation, you should feel confident using any of these words.

Here are some examples:

• Judy and Sam are both cute.
• The guest ordered both drinks.
• Can I have either a pen or pencil, please?
• You can either take me to school or pay for my bus.
• I want neither a repair nor a refund for the damage.
• She requested for nothing when she came visiting, neither food nor water.

When using “either” and “neither,” you should pay attention to the conjunction joining the two options in the sentence. For “either,” the conjunction to use is “or,” while “neither” carries “nor.”