both

Meaning

Both means ‘each of two’.

• Both my parents were born in Scotland.

When the meaning is not ‘each of two’, we normally use a different expression.

• My two brothers carried the piano upstairs. (More natural than Both my brothers carried the piano upstairs – they didn’t each carry it separately.)

both and both of

Before a noun with a determiner (e.g. the, my, these), both and both of are equally possible.

• She’s eaten both (of) the chops.
• Both (of) these oranges are bad.
• He lost both (of) his parents when he was a child.

We often drop the or a possessive after both; of is not used in this case.

• She’s eaten both chops. (not … both of chops)
• He lost both parents when he was a child.

the not used before both

Note that we do not put the before both.

• both (the) children (not the both children)

Personal pronouns: both of

With personal pronouns, we use both of + us/you/them. Both of us/you/them can be a subject or object.

• Both of them can come tomorrow.
• She’s invited both of us.
• Emily sends both of you her love.

We can put both after pronouns used as objects.

• She’s invited us both.
• Emily sends you both her love.

But this structure is not used in complements (after be) or in short answers.

• ‘Who broke the window – Sarah or Alice?’ ‘It was both of them’ . (not … them both.)
• ‘Who did she invite?’ ‘Both of us.’ (not Us both.)

Position with verb

When both refers to the subject of a clause, it can go with the verb, in ‘mid-position’, like all and each (for details of word order, (see here).

• We can both swim.
• The children have both gone to bed.
• Those oranges were both bad.
• My sisters both work in education.

Note that these meanings can also be expressed by using both (of) with a subject (see above).

• Both of us can swim.
• Both (of) the children have gone to bed.

Negative structures

Instead of both … not, we normally use neither (see here).

• Neither of them is here. (not Both of them are not here.)