Both, either and neither are for two people or things. All, none, each and every are for groups of three or more (each also works for two). Together they tell your listener who is included, who is left out, and whether the choice matters.
The pattern
Neither of my roommates cooks.
Both Sam and Lena work remotely.
You can either call or text me.
01Two things: both, either, neither
Use these when there are exactly two people or things. Both means this one and that one, and it takes a plural verb. Either means one or the other, it doesn't matter which. Neither means not this one and not that one.
Either and neither go with a singular noun: either day, neither answer. Before the, my, these or them, add of: both of them, either of the rooms, neither of my parents. After a negative verb, use either, not neither: I don't like either of them.
- Both of my parents work at the hospital.
- You can park on either side of the street.
- Neither answer is correct.
- I don't know either of her brothers.
02Groups: all, none, each, every
All and none talk about the whole group: all of the tickets, none of the rooms. Each looks at the members one by one, and every sees the whole group, but both take a singular noun and a singular verb: each player has, every seat is.
Every never takes of. Say every one of or each of instead. Only every works with almost and nearly: almost every day.
- All the stores downtown close at 9:00 p.m.
- None of the apartments had parking.
- Every apartment in the building has a balcony.
- Each of the players gets a jersey.
| Word | How many | Example |
|---|---|---|
| both | two, together | Both teams played well. |
| either | one of two | Either day is fine. |
| neither | zero of two | Neither bus goes downtown. |
| all | the whole group | All the tickets are gone. |
| none | zero of three or more | None of us knew. |
| each / every | one by one, singular verb | Every room has a TV. |
03Neither of them is or are?
After neither of, either of and none of, careful writing uses a singular verb: Neither of them is ready. In everyday American speech the plural is very common and accepted: Neither of them are ready. Use the singular in formal emails and essays, and don't worry about it in conversation.
With an uncountable noun, all and none take a singular verb: All the furniture is new.
- Neither of the candidates has experience.
- None of the information was useful.
- All of the paperwork is on my desk.
04Pairs: both...and, either...or, neither...nor
Use pairs to join two words or phrases. Both...and takes a plural verb. Either...or gives a choice. Neither...nor already says no to both, so don't add another not.
With either...or and neither...nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. Always match the partners: either goes with or, and neither goes with nor.
- Both the kitchen and the living room get a lot of light.
- You can either pay now or pay at pickup.
- Neither my boss nor my coworkers were surprised.
05Common mistakes
I don't like neither of them.
I don't like either of them.
Neither is already negative, so after don't, use either.
Every students have a locker.
Every student has a locker.
Every takes a singular noun and a singular verb.
Neither the bus or the train goes there.
Neither the bus nor the train goes there.
Neither pairs with nor. Either pairs with or.
I have two sisters, and all of them live in Texas.
I have two sisters, and both of them live in Texas.
For two people, use both, not all.