All, Both, Neither, Either Exercises

All, both, neither, and either are words used to talk about groups and choices. Both refers to two things together — it is always positive: "Both answers are correct" (the two answers). Neither is the negative of "both" — it means "not one and not the other": "Neither answer is correct" (zero of the two). Either means "one or the other" — it gives a choice between two: "You can choose either answer" (one of the two). All refers to three or more things as a complete group: "All the students passed" (every single one).

Both takes a plural verb: "Both children are happy." Neither takes a singular verb in formal English: "Neither child is happy." Either takes a singular verb: "Either option is fine." All takes a plural verb with countable nouns: "All the chairs are taken." They also combine with "of": "both of them," "neither of us," "either of you." A common mistake is using "neither" with a negative verb — "Neither of them don't like coffee" is wrong. "Neither" already contains the negative meaning, so the verb stays positive: "Neither of them likes coffee." These patterns are tested at B1 level in Cambridge examinations.