Grammar guide Updated 2026-10-09

Both, Either and Neither: A Clear Guide

Both, either and neither all deal with two things, and that shared ground is exactly why learners mix them. Three facts keep them apart: both takes a plural verb, either takes a singular verb, and neither already contains its own negative, so it never needs not.

Three words, one table

Read the fourth column twice: it causes more mistakes than the meanings do, because either and neither sit next to a plural noun in the of pattern and the verb stays singular.

Both: two out of two

Both has three positions. First, directly in front of a plural noun: Both doors were open. Second, with of plus a plural noun or an object pronoun: Both of the doors were open. Third, in the pair both … and …: She speaks both English and Spanish. The verb stays plural throughout, so Both of us is ready fails.

Either: one of two, no preference

Before a singular noun, either means one or the other without any preference: Take either road; they both reach the station. With of, the noun or pronoun is plural but the verb is singular: Either of the roads is fine. The pair either … or … offers a choice: We can meet either today or tomorrow. Pronunciation varies: EYE-thur in Britain, EE-thur often in America.

Neither: not one and not the other

Neither is the negative partner of either: Neither answer is right. With nor it joins two rejected items: Neither Tom nor Anna was there. The commonest error is adding a second negative, as in Neither of them didn't call: neither is already negative, so the verb stays positive. In a sentence that already has not, use either: I didn't see either of them.

Subject-verb agreement traps

• Either of the answers is correct. The of phrase does not make the verb plural.
• Neither of them knows the password. Singular verb, and no not.
• Both of them know. Here the plural verb is required.
• Neither Tom nor Anna was there. With nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.

Relaxed speech often uses a plural after either of and neither of. Teach the singular as the exam form and note the spoken variant, the way the subject-verb agreement guide does.

Short answers: Me neither, Neither do I, So do I

These words carry whole replies in conversation. I can't swim. → Me neither. or Neither can I. Note the inversion after neither: Neither do I, Neither can she. To agree with a positive statement, use So do I or Me too: I love this song. → So do I. Answering Me too to a negative claims the opposite, the classic polite mix-up. The question tags guide covers the same inversion.

All, none, both, neither, either, each

The middle column is the one to memorise: both, neither and either stop at two, while all and none start at three. Saying both about five people is the commonest written error. The quantifiers guide places these words beside some, any and most.

Twelve errors to correct early

• Both of student passed the test. → Both of the students passed the test. Both takes a plural noun.
• Both my sisters is teachers. → Both my sisters are teachers. Both takes a plural verb.
• Either of the two roads are fine. → Either of the two roads is fine. Either of takes a singular verb.
• Neither of them have finished. → Neither of them has finished. Neither of is singular.
• Neither of the boys didn't call. → Neither of the boys called. Already negative.
• I didn't see neither of them. → I didn't see either of them. After didn't, use either.
• Neither John or Mary was at the meeting. → Neither John nor Mary was at the meeting. The partner is nor.
• All of the two candidates are strong. → Both of the two candidates are strong. Two people are both.
• None of the two plans works. → Neither of the two plans works. For two, use neither.
• Both of them didn't agree. → Neither of them agreed. Zero out of two takes neither.
• "I can't drive." "So can't I." → "I can't drive." "Neither can I." A negative reply takes neither.
• Both of us is ready. → Both of us are ready. Both of keeps the plural verb.

A five-minute classroom drill

Ask students to find things in the room that come in pairs: shoes, hands, eyes, windows, headphones. Give the frames Both … are …, Either … is …, Neither … is … and let pairs produce one sentence for each word, plus one correction such as Neither of the windows is open. Pointing at real objects makes the choice physical, and the singular verb is easier to hear.

Frequently asked questions

Do both, either and neither take the same verb form?

No. Both takes a plural verb: Both windows are open. Either and neither take a singular verb: Either window is fine, Neither window is open.

Is Neither of them are ready wrong?

In careful and exam English, yes: write Neither of them is ready. The plural is common in relaxed speech, but tests and formal writing follow the singular. The same choice applies to Either of them is ready.

Do I need not with neither?

No. Neither already carries the negative, so He didn't come and neither did she needs no extra not. Writing neither did not come doubles it. For the same reason, I didn't see neither of them becomes I didn't see either of them.

How do both, either and neither work with of?

All three combine with of plus a plural noun or an object pronoun: both of them, either of them, neither of them. Both of keeps a plural verb, while either of and neither of take a singular verb.

What is the difference between neither and none?

Neither is for exactly two: Neither of my two brothers called. None is for three or more, or an uncountable group: None of my five brothers called, None of the milk was left. Using none for two is common in speech, but neither is precise.

Keep reading

• Subject-Verb Agreement: How to Teach the Tricky Cases
• Quantifiers: How to Teach Some, Any, Most and All
• Question Tags: How to Teach Isn't It and Don't You