both在句子中既可与名词又可与动词在一起使用,两种用法意思上并无什么差别,但有一两个语法上的问题要注意。
(1) 和名词(主语或宾语)用在一起。
①both(带或不带of) 可接the+n.物主代词+n.或指示代词+n.。
- Both (of) the cars broke down soon after we left the city.
在我们离开那城市后不久,两辆车都抛了锚。 - I got both (of) these vases in Spain.
我这两个花瓶都是在西班牙弄到的。
②如名词前无冠词、物主代词或指示代词,则both后不带of。
- Do have a rest. I've got blisters on both feet. (不用both of feet)
休息一下吧。我两只脚都起了泡。 - Both children have graduated from college.
两个孩子都已大学毕业。
③在人称代词前必须用of,或将人称代词置于both之前。
- Both of us were born on March 17th.
我们两个都是3月17日出生。 - The letter is addressed to us both/both of us.
这封信是发给我们两个的。
(2) 和动词用在一起。如果both指句中主语,它可以与动词用在一起,这时,其确切位置取决于动词形式。
①放在be之后。
- The children were both too young to travel abroad without an adult accompanying them.
两个孩子都太小,没有成人陪伴是不能去国外旅行的。
②放在其他动词之前。
- The men both looked French.
这两个男子看上去都像法国人。 - We both dislike pop music, considering it vulgar and of low tastes.
鉴于流行音乐的庸俗和格调低下,我们俩都不喜欢它。
③如动词由几部分构成,通常放在第一个辅助动词之后。
- They have both left for the U.S..
他们俩都已动身去美国了。 - They must both have been delayed.
他们俩准是被耽搁住了。
(3) ①both...and是关联词,两者所接的应是同类词,使前后“平衡”。
- She both plays the piano and sings.(both+v., and+v.)
她既弹钢琴,也唱歌。 - She plays both the piano and the violin. (both+n., and+n.)
她既弹钢琴,也拉小提琴。
②当both...and接介词时,一般应重复该介词。
- When the speaker and the listener are in two different places,“bring” is used for movements both towards the speaker and towards the listener.
当说话人和听话人在两地时,“bring”既用于表示向着说话人的运动,也表示向着听话人的运动。