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Refer precisely to two people or things: both means the two together, either means one or the other, and neither means not one and not the other.
Overview
Refer precisely to two people or things: both means the two together, either means one or the other, and neither means not one and not the other.
Form and rules
Both A and B means A plus B.
Either A or B means one of the two alternatives.
Neither A nor B means not A and not B.
Either/neither of + plural determiner/pronoun is common: either of the options, neither of them.
In careful formal grammar, either/neither of can take a singular verb, though plural agreement is common in informal speech.
A closer look
Either/neither of + plural determiner/pronoun is common: either of the options, neither of them.
In careful formal grammar, either/neither of can take a singular verb, though plural agreement is common in informal speech.
Examples
Both Ana and Leo speak Spanish.
You can take either bus.
Neither answer is correct.
Either of these times works for me.
Neither of them has replied.
Common mistakes
Either means one or the other of two alternatives.
Neither...nor means not the first and not the second.
Ready to practise?
The test combines multiple choice, gap completion, error correction, and sentence building so students have to recognise and produce the grammar, not simply reread the rule.