both

/bouθ/

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Word: Both

Part of Speech: Adjective

Basic Definition: The word "both" is used to refer to two things or people together. It means you are talking about two items as a single group.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "both" when you want to talk about two things or people at the same time.
• It is usually placed before the noun it describes.

Examples:

1. Basic Example: "Both girls are pretty." (This means that there are two girls, and both are pretty.)
2. Another Example: "I like both chocolate and vanilla ice cream." (This means you like two flavors: chocolate and vanilla.)

Advanced Usage:

• "Both" can be used in sentences to emphasize that two items share a quality or action.

  • Example: "Both the book and the movie are excellent." (Here, it means that the book is excellent, and the movie is also excellent.)

• You can also use "both" in questions and negative sentences.

  • Question: "Did both of you see the concert?" (Here, you are asking if two people saw the concert together.)
  • Negative: "They didn't like both options." (This means they did not like either of the two options.)

Word Variants:

• Both of: This phrase is often used to clarify that you are talking about two specific things or people.
  • Example: "Both of my friends are coming to the party."

Different Meanings:

• "Both" typically focuses on two items or people. It does not have multiple meanings like some other words, but it can be used in various contexts.

Synonyms:

• Two
• Both of them
• The two

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• While "both" does not have specific idioms or phrasal verbs, you might hear expressions like "both sides" (referring to two different perspectives) or "on both counts" (meaning in two different situations).

Summary:

"Both" is a simple yet useful word for talking about two things together. Remember to use it before the nouns you are describing, and you can use it in questions and negative sentences too.

Academic

Adjective

1. (used with count nouns) two considered together; the two
   • both girls are pretty

Synonyms

• both