The determiners both, either and neither are often confused. Both means this and that. Either means this or that. Neither means not this and not that.
Can you use these words correctly?
Fill in the blanks.
1There were two chops on her plate, and now they are gone. She has eaten ............... of the chops.
Wrong!
Use "both" to mean the two chops together.
2Alice sends ............... her love.
Wrong!
Use "you both" to send the message to two people together.
3............... of us were ill, so we didn't go to work.
Wrong!
Use "Both" because the sentence is about the two people being ill.
4I don't like ............... of my grammar teachers.
Wrong!
Use "either" after a negative verb to mean not one and not the other.
5Rahul and Ravi ............... went to the party.
Wrong!
Use "both" after two names when the same statement is true for the two people.
6We are on the school team. ............... of us play cricket regularly.
Wrong!
Use "Both" because the sentence says the two people play cricket regularly.
7............... of us went to the party.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Use "Both" for two people going, or "Neither" for zero people going.
8I couldn't choose between them. I liked them ............... .
Wrong!
Use "both" after the object pronoun to mean the speaker liked the two choices.
9You can take ............... the orange. You can't have both.
Wrong!
Use "either the apple or" when only one of the two choices is allowed.
10I don't think highly of ............... of them.
Wrong!
Use "either" after "don't" to mean not one and not the other.
11............... of us can swim.
Wrong!
Use "Neither" with an affirmative verb to mean that zero of the two people can swim.
12I don't want ............... cake.
Wrong!
Use "either chocolate or" after "don't want" to mean that you want neither of the two things.
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- There were two chops on her plate, and now they are gone. She has eaten both of the chops.
- Alice sends you both her love.
- Both of us were ill, so we didn’t go to work.
- I don’t like either of my grammar teachers.
- Rahul and Ravi both went to the party.
- We are on the school team. Both of us play cricket regularly.
- Both / Neither of us went to the party.
- I couldn’t choose between them. I liked them both .
- You can take either the apple or the orange. You can’t have both.
- I don’t think highly of either of them.
- Neither of us can swim.
- I don’t want either chocolate or cake.
