Both, Either, Neither; Each, Every — English Grammar Exercises — English Grammar Exercises
Both dishes are tasty and neither is expensive. Master determiners for pairs and groups — 45 exercises in 3 progressive blocks.
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both / either / neither
All three talk about two things:
- both = the two together (positive) → plural verb: Both restaurants are good.
- either = one or the other → singular verb: Either bus works.
- neither = not one and not the other (negative) → singular verb: Neither answer is correct.
both of / either of / neither of need a determiner: ✅ both of the students, neither of them — ❌ both of students.
both...and / either...or / neither...nor
These paired conjunctions link two parallel parts:
- both ... and: She speaks both French and German.
- either ... or: We can either walk or take the bus.
- neither ... nor: He neither called nor texted.
Watch out: neither pairs with nor, never or — ❌ neither drinks or smokes → ✅ neither drinks nor smokes.
No double negative
neither already means "not", so don't add a second negative:
- ✅ Neither of them wants to go. — ❌ Neither of them doesn't want to go.
- ✅ I don't like either option. — ❌ I don't like neither option.
Negative agreement — Neither do I / I don't either
To agree with a negative statement:
- Neither / Nor + auxiliary + subject (inversion): "I don't like it." — "Neither do I."
- Subject + auxiliary + either: "I can't swim." — "I can't either."
Match the auxiliary to the first sentence. Use either, not too, in negatives.
each / every
Both take a singular noun and a singular verb:
- each — individuals, one by one; can take of: Each of the rooms has a balcony.
- every — the whole group; cannot take of: ❌ every of the rooms → ✅ every room.
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| Both candidates is ready. | Both candidates are ready. |
| He neither drinks or smokes. | He neither drinks nor smokes. |
| Neither of them don't want to go. | Neither of them wants to go. |
| Every of the answers was wrong. | Each of the answers was wrong. |
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___ of my parents are doctors at the same hospital.
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Both
'Both' means the two together. The plural verb 'are' confirms it.
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You can sit on ___ side of the table — both are free.
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either
'Either' = one or the other; it doesn't matter which.
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I tried two cafés in the area, but ___ was open.
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neither
'Neither' = not one and not the other — a negative result.
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Both restaurants ___ excellent reviews online.
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have
'Both' always takes a plural verb — 'both restaurants have'.
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Neither answer ___ correct, I'm afraid.
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is
'Neither' takes a singular verb — 'neither answer is'.
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She speaks both French ___ German fluently.
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and
'Both' pairs with 'and' — 'both ... and'.
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We can either walk ___ take the bus into town.
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or
'Either' pairs with 'or' — 'either ... or'.
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He neither called ___ texted me all weekend.
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nor
'Neither' pairs with 'nor', never 'or' — 'neither ... nor'.
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___ student in the class passed the final exam.
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Every
The class has many students, so use 'every'. 'Both' and 'either' are only for two.
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There's a bus into town ___ ten minutes.
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every
'Every ten minutes' is the natural phrase for repeated time intervals.
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Either bus ___ you straight to the station.
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takes
'Either' takes a singular verb — 'either bus takes'.
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The hotel was both clean ___ comfortable.
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and
'Both' pairs with 'and'.
Both, Either, Neither: A Complete Grammar Reference
The determiners both, either, and neither — along with their correlative conjunctions and negative agreement uses — are among the most frequent grammar targets at B1–B2 level. Research from the English Profile Programme identifies determiner errors as accounting for nearly 18% of all grammar mistakes at intermediate level, with both/either/neither ranking in the top 5 most confused word groups. The difficulty is threefold: learners must select the right word for the intended meaning, apply the correct verb agreement (singular vs plural), and master paired conjunction patterns. Corpus data from the International Corpus of Learner English shows that over 35% of 'neither' uses at B1–B2 level contain a verb agreement error, and approximately 25% of 'both...and' sentences show faulty parallelism. Russian speakers face an additional challenge: Russian grammar licenses double negatives ('ни один из них не хочет'), which leads directly to the persistent error 'neither of them don't want', and the Russian word 'тоже' translates as 'too' in positive contexts but as 'either' in negative ones — a distinction English makes strictly. These 45 exercises systematically address all five areas: both, either, neither, negative agreement, and each vs every.
Both — The Two Together
Both refers to two things together and always requires a plural verb. It can function as a determiner before a noun, as a pronoun with 'of', or as part of the correlative conjunction 'both...and'.
Both of the students passed. ('both of' needs a determiner before the noun)
She speaks both French and German. (correlative conjunction)
Note: 'Both of' always requires a determiner or pronoun — say 'both of the students' or 'both of them', never 'both of students'. Without 'of', the determiner is dropped: 'both students'.
Either — One or the Other
Either means 'one or the other (of two)' and takes a singular verb when used as subject or determiner. As a response ('Either is fine'), it signals that the speaker accepts whichever option is offered.
You can park on either side of the street. (= one side and the other, both individually)
We can either stay home or go to the cinema. (correlative conjunction)
When used with 'of', the noun must be plural and preceded by a determiner: 'either of these options', not 'either of this options'. In formal English, 'either of' takes a singular verb: 'Either of the jackets looks good on you.'
Neither — Not One, Not the Other
Neither is the negative counterpart of both and either. It carries its own negative meaning, so it never combines with a second negative word: 'neither of them wants' (not 'don't want'), 'I don't like either option' (not 'I don't like neither option').
Neither of them was available. ('neither of' + plural noun + singular verb)
He neither called nor texted. (correlative conjunction — 'nor', never 'or')
Negative Agreement — Neither Do I / I Can't Either
When agreeing with a negative statement, English offers two structures. 'Neither/Nor + auxiliary + subject' uses inversion; 'subject + auxiliary + either' keeps normal word order. Both are correct. The auxiliary must match the original sentence.
"She hasn't finished yet." — "Neither have I." / "I haven't either."
"I can't swim." — "Me neither." (informal spoken)
The most common learner error is using 'too' in negative contexts: 'I can't too' is non-standard. Always use 'either' or 'neither' for negative agreement.
Each vs Every
Each focuses on individuals one at a time; every treats the group as a complete set. Both take singular nouns and singular verbs. The critical grammatical difference: each can take 'of', every cannot.
Every student passed the exam. (focus on the whole group)
Each of the rooms has its own bathroom. ✓ ('each of' + the + plural noun)
Every of the rooms ✗ → Every room / Every one of the rooms ✓
Common Mistakes
✗ Both candidates is qualified. → ✓ Both candidates are qualified. (both = plural verb)
✗ Neither of them don't want to go. → ✓ Neither of them wants to go. (neither is already negative)
✗ He neither drinks or smokes. → ✓ He neither drinks nor smokes. (neither pairs with nor)
✗ I can't play chess too. → ✓ I can't play chess either. ('too' is for positive agreement only)
✗ Every of the answers was incorrect. → ✓ Each of the answers was incorrect. (every cannot take 'of')
✗ Each students must submit the essay. → ✓ Each student must submit the essay. (each + singular noun)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between both, either, and neither?
'Both' means the two together (positive): 'Both restaurants are good.' It always takes a plural verb. 'Either' means one or the other — it doesn't matter which: 'You can take either bus.' As a subject it takes a singular verb. 'Neither' means not one and not the other (negative): 'Neither option is acceptable.' It also takes a singular verb and already contains a negative meaning, so never add a second negative word ('neither of them don't want' is wrong — say 'neither of them wants').
How do you use both...and, either...or, neither...nor?
These are correlative conjunctions that link two parallel elements. 'Both...and' adds two things: 'She speaks both French and German.' 'Either...or' presents a choice: 'Either call me or send an email.' 'Neither...nor' rejects both: 'He neither called nor texted.' A common error is writing 'neither...or' — always use 'neither...nor'. The elements after each part must be grammatically parallel: both nouns, both verbs, both adjectives, etc.
What is the difference between each and every?
'Each' emphasises individuals one by one (possible for two or more): 'Each student received a certificate.' 'Every' emphasises the group as a whole (three or more): 'Every student passed the exam.' The key rule: 'each' can be followed by 'of' ('each of the students'), but 'every' cannot — 'every of the students' is wrong. Say 'every student' or 'every one of the students'. Both take singular verbs.
How do you express negative agreement in English — 'neither do I' or 'I can't either'?
Both forms are correct but structurally different. 'Neither do I' (or 'Nor do I') uses inversion: neither + auxiliary + subject. 'I can't either' keeps normal word order but adds 'either' at the end. Match the auxiliary to the first sentence: 'She hasn't finished' → 'Neither have I' / 'I haven't either'. The key error to avoid is 'too' in negative contexts: 'I can't too' is wrong — use 'either'. The informal 'Me neither' works in spoken English.
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