Both — Exercises — English Grammar Exercises
Both dishes are tasty and neither is expensive. Master determiners for pairs and groups — 60 exercises across 6 subtopics.
Both in English: Determiners, Pronouns and Correlative Conjunctions
Both is one of the most productive English quantifiers for talking about two things together. It operates in three grammatical roles: as a predeterminer before a noun phrase ('both restaurants'), as a pronoun with 'of' ('both of them'), and as the first element of the correlative conjunction both...and. The consistent rule across all three uses is that 'both' always signals two items and always takes a plural verb. Learner corpus data from the Cambridge Learner Corpus shows that verb agreement errors after 'both' — using a singular verb by analogy with the Russian 'оба + singular predicate' pattern — account for approximately 28% of all 'both' errors at B1 level. A second frequent problem is omitting the required determiner: 'both of students' instead of 'both of the students'.
Both as Determiner
Used directly before a plural noun, 'both' functions as a predeterminer. The verb must be plural.
Both candidates are qualified for the job.
Both of + Determiner + Plural Noun
When 'both' is followed by 'of', a determiner (the, my, these, etc.) or an object pronoun (them, us) must come next. 'Both of' before a bare noun is incorrect.
Both of them agreed to help. ✓
Both of students passed. ✗
Both...and — Correlative Conjunction
'Both...and' links two parallel elements to emphasise that both are true. The two elements must be grammatically parallel (both nouns, both verbs, both adjectives).
Tom speaks both French and German.
She enjoys both yoga and swimming.
Common Mistakes
✗ Both candidates is qualified. → ✓ Both candidates are qualified.
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.