Sign inBoth vs. Both of
It's understandable that you may see no difference between these two, but let's read the article and see the similarities and differences between the two.
What Are Their Main Differences?
'Both of' can only be used before objective pronouns. 'Both' can only be used after subjective pronouns.
Differences
With Pronouns
Both
'Both' can be used after pronouns, but we cannot use 'both of' in this way. Pay attention to the examples:
They wanted to fire us
They
Both of
As opposed to 'both', 'both of' is used before pronouns. Keep in mind that we cannot use 'both of' before 'subject pronouns'. It is only used before 'object pronouns'. For example:
With Words of the Same Class
Both
When we are referring to two options which are of the same parts of speech, we must use 'both' followed by 'and'.
In this case, 'both' can be followed by a singular noun linked to another singular noun.
With Nouns
Both
The theories of
- 'Both + determiner':
However, if there is a determiner after 'both', it can be followed by either a plural or singular noun, but the noun must be linked to another plural or singular noun of the same kind by the linking word 'and'. The structure is as follows:
[both + determiner + singular/plural noun + and + determiner + singular/plural noun]
Take a look at the examples:
Both of
'Both of' is used before noun phrases, that is, before (determiner + noun). But keep in mind that we cannot use singular nouns in this case and after 'of'. For example:
With Adjectives
Both
We can use 'both' before adjectives connected by 'and' to indicate that two adjectives apply to the same person or thing. Additionally, 'both' can be used before two adjectives, followed by 'as well as', and one or more additional adjectives to indicate that all the adjectives apply to a person or thing. This rule applies to 'both', not 'both of'. Let us take a look at some examples:
Katherine is
Ellie is
'You and Me Both'
The expression 'you and me both' is commonly used to indicate that the speaker and the person they are speaking to share a common experience or feeling. It is often used to express agreement or empathy, and to suggest that the speaker can relate to what the other person is saying. Look at the examples below:
Similarities
Combination with Determiners
Both and both of are used before a (determiner + noun). In other words, they are used before noun phrases. For example:
What They Refer to
'Both' and 'both of' are used to refer to two people or things in a group of two. They indicate that the two things or people are considered together as a pair, or share some quality.
Using 'The' before 'Both' and 'Both of'
Using 'the' before both and both of is not grammatically correct because 'both' and 'both of' somehow replace the definite article. However, in spoken English, sometimes we can use 'the' before 'both' or 'both of' to add emphasis. For example:
'Both of You' or 'You Both'?
'Both of you' and 'you both' are both correct and commonly used in English, but 'you both' is more emphatic. This also applies to all other subject and object pronouns.
Are
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