Grammar : Either/Neither/Both(图)

发布 : 2026-1-21  来源 : 明报新闻网 用微信扫描二维码，分享至好友和朋友圈

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【明报专讯】Pat：I want to go hiking, but I want an easy walk.

MoMo：We can hike the trail near home. It's both flat and pretty.

Dr Panda：Good. For shoes, wear either sneakers or hiking boots. Don't wear sandals.

Pat：What should I bring? I have neither a water bottle nor a snack right now.

MoMo：You should bring both! You can bring either one big bottle or two small ones.

Dr Panda：This is perfect. The Lake Loop is neither steep nor long. It will be a great hike.

???nglish highway

Apart from using "and" in our daily conversation and writings, we can use "either ... or ...", "neither ... nor ..." and "both" to make our speech and writing more precise.

Either ... or ...

Used to present two possible options / alternatives.

E.g. For the birthday party, we can order either pizza or fried chicken. (Meaning: we can order pizza or fried chicken for the party.)

E.g. Either my brother or my dad is picking me up. (Meaning: My brother or dad is picking me up)

Neither ... nor ...

Used to present two things are not true or are excluded.

E.g. I like neither coffee nor tea. (Meaning: I don't like coffee, and I don't like tea either.)

E.g. Neither the players nor the coach was happy with the result of the match. (Meaning: The players and coach are not happy with the result of match.)

Both

Used to emphasize that two things are true or included together.

E.g. Both my brother and my sister are doctors.

■Gear up

Combine the sentences using "either ... or ...", "neither ... nor ..." and "both".

1. You can take the bus. You can take the train.

2. The movie was funny. The movie was heartfelt.

3. He doesn't have a laptop. He doesn't have a tablet.

(Answer on next text)

■Glossary

flat (adj) 平坦的

precise (adj) 精确的

heartfelt (adj) 感人的

tablet (n) 平板电脑

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[Smarties' Power English 第460期]