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both, neither

The document explains the use of conjunctions and their corresponding meanings in English grammar for two or more subjects. It provides examples for 'both', 'either', 'neither', 'all', and 'none', illustrating how they affect verb agreement and sentence structure. Additionally, it highlights the distinction between singular and plural verbs in relation to these conjunctions.

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Бадамгарав Амаржаргал
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6 views

both, neither

The document explains the use of conjunctions and their corresponding meanings in English grammar for two or more subjects. It provides examples for 'both', 'either', 'neither', 'all', and 'none', illustrating how they affect verb agreement and sentence structure. Additionally, it highlights the distinction between singular and plural verbs in relation to these conjunctions.

Uploaded by

Бадамгарав Амаржаргал
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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For TWO things : A B

BOTH – A and B A = yes B = yes


EITHER – A or B A = maybe B = maybe - but not both A and B, only one
NEITHER – A nor B A = no B = no
For THREE or more things : A B C (D E F etc.)
ALL – A and B and C A = yes B = yes C = yes
NONE – not A not B not C A = no B = no C = no

An Example : A = Bill and B = Janet


Both Bill and Janet live in London. Bill lives in London and Janet also lives in London.
Either Bill or Janet will meet you on Friday. Maybe Bill will meet you or maybe Janet will meet you, but not both
of them, only one of them.
Neither Bill nor Janet speaks Mongolian. Bill doesn’t speak Mongolian.
Janet doesn’t speak Mongolian.
C = Joe : Bill and Janet and Joe are my friends.
All of my friends will meet you on Saturday night. Bill and Janet and Joe will meet you.
None of my friends have been to Mongolia before. Bill hasn’t been to Mongolia before.
Janet hasn’t been to Mongolia before.
Joe hasn’t been to Mongolia before.
Another Example : A = basketball B = chess
I play both basketball and chess on Thursdays. I play basketball and chess.
I will play either basketball or chess on Friday. Maybe I will play basketball or maybe I will play chess, but I
won’t play both, only one of them.
I will play neither basketball nor chess on Saturday. I will not play basketball and I will not play chess
ALL [OF] – the whole group (3+) positive : All of us will go to the market. (3 or more people)
He ate all [of] the soup.
BOTH [OF] – the whole pair (2) positive : Both of us passed the test. (2 people)
He ate both [of] the sandwiches. (2 sandwiches)
EITHER [OF] – one of two – positive : Either mum or dad will pick Sally up from kindergarten
today. If dad is busy, mum will do it. But if dad has time, he
will. (but both of them will not go together – only one –
maybe mum, maybe dad)
He drinks either coffee or tea for breakfast. Some mornings
he has coffee and some mornings he has tea.
NEITHER [OF] – the whole pair (2) negative : Sally waited for an hour but neither of her parents arrived.
Kim drinks neither coffee nor tea. She only likes cold drinks.
= Kim doesn’t drink either coffee or tea.
NONE [OF] – the whole group (3+) negative : None of my students failed the test so I was happy.
= All of them passed the test.
He ate none of the food I offered him.
= He didn’t eat any of the food I offered him.

PLURAL VERBS – both, all


Both Bob and Hazel live in Hovd.
All of my students want to take the English exam.
SINGULAR VERBS – neither, either (sometimes PLURAL VERBS are possible for either and neither- if you have to
choose one – I think singular is better)
Neither Bob nor Hazel is Mongolian.
Either Bob or Hazel is going to teach this lesson. [Either Bob or Hazel are going to teach this lesson.]
SINGULAR and PLURAL VERBS – none
None of them like dancing. = None of them likes dancing.

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