§ 30. The pronoun either and its negative counterpart neither

are used as noun pronouns and as adjective pronouns. When used

as nouns, they take a singular verb. Either usually means 'one or

the other of two'.

e.g. Either of these machines is suitable for the work you want

done. "Which of the two rooms would you like, sir?" "Oh,

either. I

don't care."

The news did not shock either of them. My wife and I

watched him make the parcel but he took no

notice of either of us.

Have you seen either of your parents today? There is a train

at 11.30 and one at 12.05. Either train will

get you to Oxford in time for the meeting.

In the above meaning either is mostly used as a noun pronoun,

though occasionally it occurs in the function of an attribute (see

the last example above).

Either may also mean 'each of two'. In this meaning it is used

as an adjective pronoun and mostly found in literary English.

e.g. He came down the road with a girl on either arm.

There was a lamp at either end of the street. The

houses on either side were tall and big.

Neither means 'not the one nor the other'.

e.g. That evening my mother spoke with such quiet anger that

Aunt Milly was intimidated. After that neither of them

was ever willing to take up the subject.

The first time we met after the ball, neither of us said a

word that was not trivial.

My friend and I came to the end of our last walk. "We shall

meet again," she said. "If not next year, then some other

time." Neither of us believed it.

You can keep your astonishment and your mortification for

yourself. I feel neither.

I have travelled by both trains and neither train had a restaurant

car.

Neither brother has been abroad.

§ 31. The pronoun both is used as a noun pronoun and as an

adjective pronoun. It is plural in meaning and applied only to two

persons or things.

e.g. Two men were injured in the accident. Both are now recovering

in hospital.

I ordered only one of the two books, but now I think I'll take

both.

Dirk went up to her, and took both her hands.

I made plans for the future that ignored both my parents

and my studies.

I invited one of the brothers but both of them came.

Note the possible place of both in the sentence.

e.g. Both (the) men were interested in the job.

Both these children are mine. These

children are both mine. Both my children

are boys.

Both of them agreed that the matter had better be dropped.

They both accepted the invitation. They have both been

invited.

§ 32. The pronouns much and many are used as noun pronouns

and as adjective pronouns.

Much means 'a large amount'. As a noun pronoun, it takes a

singular verb. As an adjective pronoun, it modifies only uncountable

nouns.

e.g. Much of his life was lived inside himself.

"I don't suppose you had much to eat all day," said my mother.You haven't much time if you want to catch the train.

I hope you haven't brought much luggage.

Many means 'a large number'. As a noun pronoun, it takes a

plural verb. As an adjective pronoun, it modifies only countable

nouns in the plural, e.g. There were lots of people on the beach.

Many of them were

holiday-makers.

"I'm marking the children's compositions." "Have you many •

left?"

I haven't many friends now. You haven't

made many mistakes this time.

There is a strong tendency in present-day English to use much

and many, particularly when they function as adjective pronouns,

only in interrogative and negative sentences and in object clauses

introduced by if or whether.

e.g. I had not very much advice to give him.

I did not meet many English people who could speak foreign

languages.

Did you have much rain on your holidays? Do you know many

people in London? I doubt whether there'll be much time for

seeing the sights.

The train leaves at six o'clock. I wonder if

many people will come to the party.

Thus He has much time, although apparently correct grammatically,

is hardly ever seen or heard in present-day English. A

lot of, lots of, plenty of, a great deal of, a large number of, a

good many, a great many and the like replace much and many in

affirmative sentences.

e.g. There is a lot of work to do.

I know plenty of boys in other schools had achieved the same

results as I had.

She knows lots of girls who go out dancing every Saturday.

He has done a great deal of research on the subject. A large

number of people were gathered at the cafe. My mother's

family had been different in a good many ways

from my father's. A great many mistakes have been made

by nearly everybody.Much and many can be used in affirmative sentences in the

following cases:

a) when they are used as the subject of the sentence, or modify it,

e.g. Much depends on what answer he will give. Much of what he

says is true. Many think that the situation will improve.

Much time would be saved if you planned your work properly.

Many people like to spend their spare time working in their

gardens.

b) when much and many are modified by adverbs of degree,

e.g. so, too, as and how,

e.g. No, I won't do it. It's too much trouble.

There are too many mistakes in your exercises.

You can have as much fruit as you want.

c) when much is used alone as a noun pronoun in the function

of an object,

e.g. My mother meant much to me.

I would give much to know what he is thinking now.

Note. Occasionally we find such synonymous expressions of much and many as

a world of, heaps of, oceans of and the like. They are used in colloquial English for

emphasis.

e.g. I have heaps of news. When can we talk?

Much and many change for degrees of comparison. They are

more and most.

e.g. He made more progress than I had expected.

I found more letters lying on his table that morning.

He knew more about me than I thought.

Most work was done in my father's office.

Most people hold the same opinion as you do.

The most I can do for you is to give you a letter of recommendation.

Most of his money came from selling his landscapes.

Most of the delegates voted against the proposal.

Most of his relatives lived in the country.