2. Used as a Determiner

Either and Neither as Determiners

Either is about one or the other of two people or things . It can also mean one and the other of two people or things . As for neither, it’s not one or the other of two people or things . As determiners, either and neither come before a singular countable noun.

  • A noun that follows either or neither is singular.

Examples:

  • You can choose either  piece, and I will take the other one.
  • He was punched hard on the nose, but neither  nostril was bleeding.

 

Either: one or the other of two.

Examples:

  • I don’t mind which fish. Just give me either  one, please.
  • You can take either  road; both roads will lead you there.
  • You may use either  hand to hold it.

Either: one and the other of two.

Examples:

  • It has big ears on either  side (= both sides) of its head.
  • There are toilets at either  end of the long corridor.
  • She will return home to live if either of the parents dies.

Either  is commonly used before a pronoun.

Examples:

  • Either  she is telling the truth, or she does not know she is telling a lie.
  • Either  he or his brother is going to fetch the mother home.

Neither  is used to show  not either of two people or things .

Examples:

  • Neither  one of our parents is a smother.
  • Neither  sweater you bought for me fits me.
  • Neither  coin he found is foreign.