"Both...and..." and "Neither...nor..." are really useful conjunctions that help us connect two ideas or items in a sentence. They're great for showing relationships between things, whether it's inclusion or exclusion.
Both . . . and . . .
We use "both...and..." to emphasize that two subjects, objects, or ideas are true or apply. It's like saying "this one plus that one."
Here's how it works:
- Connecting two subjects:
- Both my brother and my sister enjoy hiking. (This means my brother enjoys hiking, and my sister also enjoys hiking.)
- Both the book and the movie were excellent. (The book was excellent, and the movie was excellent.)
- Connecting two objects:
- She speaks both English and Spanish fluently. (She speaks English, and she speaks Spanish.)
- He likes both pizza and pasta for dinner. (He likes pizza, and he likes pasta.)
- Connecting two verbs/actions:
- He both works and studies full-time. (He works full-time, and he studies full-time.)
- The new software is both fast and efficient. (It is fast, and it is efficient.)
Important Note: When "both...and..." connects two subjects, the verb that follows is always plural.
Neither . . . nor . . .
On the other hand, "neither...nor..." is used to show that two subjects, objects, or ideas are not true or do not apply. It's the opposite of "both...and..." and means "not this one and not that one."
Here's how it works:
- Connecting two subjects:
- Neither John nor Sarah was at the party. (John was not at the party, and Sarah was not at the party.)
- Neither the red shirt nor the blue shirt fits me. (The red shirt doesn't fit, and the blue shirt doesn't fit.)
- Connecting two objects:
- I like neither strong coffee nor sweet tea. (I don't like strong coffee, and I don't like sweet tea.)
- She plays neither tennis nor golf. (She doesn't play tennis, and she doesn't play golf.)
- Connecting two verbs/actions:
- He can neither sing nor dance well. (He can't sing well, and he can't dance well.)
- The problem was neither simple nor easy to solve. (It wasn't simple, and it wasn't easy.)
Important Note: When "neither...nor..." connects two subjects, the verb typically agrees with the second subject (the one closer to the verb).
- Neither the students nor the teacher is ready. (The teacher is singular, so "is" is used.)
- Neither the teacher nor the students are ready. (The students are plural, so "are" is used.)