Both…And, Either…Or, Neither…Nor: Parallel Structure and Agreement

Correlative conjunctions work in pairs: they connect two grammatically comparable choices or ideas.

Both…and: two are true

Use both A and B when the statement applies to two people, things, qualities or actions.

• She speaks both English and Kazakh.
• The course is both practical and demanding.

Either…or: one of two possibilities

Either A or B presents alternatives. The speaker may not know which one is true, or may be offering a choice.

You can book either Tuesday or Thursday.

Neither…nor: not this and not that

Neither A nor B makes both alternatives negative without adding another not.

Neither the student nor the tutor was late.

Keep the structure parallel

The material after each half should have the same grammatical shape. Natural: She enjoys both reading and writing. Awkward: She enjoys both reading and to write.

The same principle applies to clauses: Either we leave now or we wait until six.

Verb agreement

With both…and, the subject is normally plural: Both Sara and Adam are ready. With either…or and neither…nor, formal English usually makes the verb agree with the nearer subject: Either the teachers or the director is attending. Rewrite if the result feels awkward.

Quick practice

1. Both the price and the schedule ___ important.
2. Neither my notes nor the textbook ___ the answer.
3. Rewrite in parallel form: She likes both to travel and cooking.

Answers: are; contains; She likes both travelling and cooking / both to travel and to cook.

Takeaway: meaning comes first, but parallel grammar makes these paired structures easier to read and much more natural.