UNIT 79 Both/both of, neither/neither of, either/either of
A. We use both, neither, and either when we are talking about two things. You can use these words with a noun:
- Both restaurants are very good. (not the both restaurants)
- Neither restaurant is expensive.
- We can go to either restaurant. I don't care. (either= one or the other; it doesn't matter which one)
- I didn't like either restaurant. (not the one or the other)
B. You can also use both/neither/either with of . . . . When you use these words with of, you always need the/these/those/my/your/his, etc. You cannot say, "both of restaurants." You have to say "both of the restaurants,'' "both of these restaurants,'' etc.:
- Both of these restaurants are very good
- Neither of the restaurants we went to was (or were) expensive.
- We can go to either of those restaurants. I don't mind.
- both my parents or both of my parents
C. After both of/neither of/either of you can also use us/you/them:
- Can either of you speak Spanish?
- I wanted Tom and Ann to come, but neither of them wanted to.
- Both of us were very tired. (not Both us.)
D. After neither of . . . you can use a singular or a plural verb:
- Neither of the children wants (or want) to go to bed.
- Neither of us is (or are) married
E. You can say both . . . and . . . neither . . . nor . . . , and either . . . or . . . . Study these examples:
- Both Tom and Ann were late.
- They were both tired and hungry.
- Neither Tom nor Ann came to the party
- He said he would contact me, but he neither wrote nor called.
- I'm not sure where he is from. He's either Spanish or Italian.
- Either you apologize, or I'll never speak to you again.
F. You can also use both/neither/either alone:
- "Is he British or American?'' ''Neither. He's Australian.''
- "Do you want tea or coffee?" "Either. It doesn't matter.''
- I couldn't decide which one to choose. I liked both.
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