Writing tip 14: Use 'both' with care

How could an innocent word like ‘both’ cause problems? The easiest way to explain is by showing some examples.

Example 1
This matter concerns both New Zealand’s youth workers and the police.

This sentence may imply that New Zealand has only two youth workers!

Example 2
It’s something for both children and their parents to think about.

Does this writer mean all children and their parents, or just two children and their parents?

When you use ‘both’, be careful that there is no confusion. If possible, avoid this problem by getting rid of ‘both’ altogether (what does it really add, after all?).

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