How To Use Either, Neither And Both One of the tricky things about either, neither and both is knowing if they should be followed by singular or plural nouns and verbs. The table below explains either, neither and both, and the rules for what should follow them. We use either, neither and both when we are talking about two things. either = one OR the other A : Would you like tea or coffee? B : Either. I don't mind. This means: 'You can give me tea OR coffee. I have no preference.' neither = not one and not the other A : Would you like ham or beef in your sandwich? B : Neither. I am a vegetarian. I don't eat meat. This means: 'I don't want ham and I don't want beef.' both = the first AND the second ...