Writing Tips

The Word "Both"

Some words in the English language appear so innocent as to escape the scrutiny of even the most careful copy editor. The word both is one such word. Despite its virtuous appearance, it can be seen in erroneous constructions such as those described below.

Placement With an Awkward Correlate
Both is most often found with its partner (correlate) and. Therefore, one of the easiest errors to spot is the use of both with an awkward correlate, such as as well as. For example:

The peace talks are being sponsored both by Britain as well as by the United States.

In most cases, replacing as well as with and solves the problem.

The peace talks are being sponsored by both Britain and the United States.

Redundancy
Watch for redundancy when both appears in a sentence that also contains words such as equally, at once, and between.

Leroy and James were both equally astonished.
The book was at once both compelling and repulsive.
The competition would be between both Tom and me.

In each case, removing the word both removes the redundancy.

Lack of Symmetry in Sentence Structure
A lack of symmetry in sentence structure is also a trademark of misuse involving both...and constructions. The nature of correlatives demands that the coupled items be presented with equal weight.

His words were hurtful both to Shawn and Lisa.

Instead, write:

His words were hurtful both to Shawn and to Lisa.

Ambiguous Appearance
Because both can function as a pronoun, a correlative conjunction, and an adjective, its use in certain contexts can give rise to ambiguity or discordance. For example:

Both eyes and nose were overwhelmed by the extravagant bouquet.

When a plural noun immediately follows both, the word is usually read as an adjective when first encountered. Then, the reader finds the and and must "reverse gears" to read both as a correlative conjunction. The sentence would be better written:

Both the nose and the eyes were overwhelmed by the extravagant bouquet.

OR

Eyes and nose were both overwhelmed by the extravagant bouquet.

Extraneous Use
As with the word any (see the February 1998 tip), both is frequently extraneous to meaning in technical writing. Unless emphasis on the equality of the pair is vital, both can be dropped. For example:

Before applying for funding, ensure that both your organization and your project are eligible.

This sentence, though grammatically correct, would benefit from dropping the word both. The rewritten sentence maintains its meaning and is more succinct:

Before applying for funding, ensure that your organization and project are eligible.

For technical writers, who must consider the number of words in a document for translation purposes, every word counts!