Either and neither

warmer: twins

Do you know any twins? Can you tell them apart?

What would be the best / worst thing about having a twin?

Can you think of any interesting pranks you could play if you had an identical twin?

Many twins say they can feel what the other twin is feeling. Do you believe it?

We're going to read a text on twin studies.

Before we do so, why are researchers so interested in studying twins?

Two of a Kind: the fascination with twin studies

In January 2009, three masked men climbed through a skylight into KaDeWe, Berlin's most famous department store, and escaped with jewellery and watches worth around five million euros. They left almost nothing behind – just a rope ladder and a single glove. Inside the glove, police found a tiny trace of sweat. The DNA matched not one man, but two: identical twins called Hassan and Abbas. The glove could have belonged to either of them, and German law requires prosecutors to prove exactly which person committed a crime. In the end, both brothers walked free, and neither brother was ever convicted.

Stories like this show why scientists are so fascinated by twins. Identical twins develop from a single fertilised egg, so they share almost all of their DNA. Non-identical twins share only about half, just like ordinary brothers and sisters. By comparing the two types, researchers can estimate how much of who we are comes from our genes, and how much comes from the way we are brought up.

Some of the most surprising results have come from twins who grew up apart. In 1979, Jim Lewis and Jim Springer met for the first time at the age of 39. They had been adopted by different families as babies. Lewis had no idea that he had a twin, and neither did Springer. Yet both men had married a woman called Linda, divorced her, and then married a woman called Betty. Both had also named their dog Toy. Researchers at the University of Minnesota went on to study more than a hundred pairs of twins raised apart, and found that they were often remarkably similar in personality and intelligence.

Twins have also helped science in other ways. When NASA wanted to know what a long time in space does to the human body, it compared astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent almost a year on the International Space Station, with his identical twin, Mark, who stayed on Earth. Most of the changes in Scott's body disappeared after he came home, but not all of them did.

Yet identical twins are not completely identical. They have different fingerprints, and a 2021 study from Iceland found that most pairs have a few tiny genetic differences. Unfortunately for detectives, these differences are almost impossible to find. People often can't tell identical twins apart, and the standard DNA tests that police use can't either. So when DNA points to a pair of twins, investigators need either a confession or a witness.

comprehension

What did the thieves leave behind at KaDeWe?

Why were the two brothers not convicted?

What is the difference between identical and non-identical twins?

What did Jim Lewis and Jim Springer have in common?

Why did NASA compare Scott Kelly with his brother Mark?

In what ways are identical twins not completely identical? What do investigators need when DNA points to a pair of twins?

grammar: either and neither

A The glove could have belonged to either of them. → Do the police know which brother wore the glove? How many people are we talking about?

B Neither brother was ever convicted. → Was Hassan convicted? Was Abbas? Is the verb was convicted positive or negative?

C Lewis had no idea that he had a twin, and neither did Springer. → Did Springer know he had a twin? How else could you finish the sentence: …and Springer didn't ______?

D People often can't tell identical twins apart, and the standard DNA tests … can't either. → Can the tests tell twins apart? Why does the sentence use either and not too?

Practice 1: circle the correct option

01: There are two lifts in the building, but either / neither of them is working.

02: "I've never been to Iceland." "Neither / Either have I."

03: My parents don't speak English, and my grandparents don't either / too.

04: You can neither / either pay now or pay when you arrive.

05: I've got three sisters, but neither / none of them looks like me.

06: I haven't read neither / either of his books.

07: "I'm not very good at maths." "Me neither / Me too."

08: The film was either / neither funny nor interesting.

Practice 2: gap fill

01: Non-identical twins can be ______ the same sex ______ different sexes.

02: Hassan didn't say anything to the police, and Abbas didn't ______.

03: "I don't have any brothers or sisters." "______ do I."

04: The twins told police that ______ of them had been in Berlin that night.

05: I've got two phones, but ______ of them is a Samsung.

06: My neighbour ______ smokes ______ drinks - he's quite health conscious.

07: "Which day is better for you, Monday or Tuesday?" "______ is fine. I'm free all week."

08: She didn't answer my call, and she didn't reply to my message ______.

Activation 1

Now complete the sentences with guesses about your partner / teacher

Neither of your parents …

Neither of your brothers / sisters / best friends …

You've never …, and neither have I.

You don't like …, and you don't like … either.

If you had to choose either … or …, you'd choose …

You'd be happy to live in either … or …

You've been to neither … nor …

You can't …, and you can't … either.

Activation 2

Write five sentences about yourself with either or neither – some true, some false. Your teacher guesses which are true.

Your sentences

Now watch two twins talking about an alleged crime.

What happened?

Why is it so difficult to follow the story?

Reactions

Check out the reactions below. Do you share any of these sentiments? What's your own reaction to the video?

"It would be so amazing to have someone like this in my life."

"It would be so annoying to have someone like this in my life."

"They're obviously trying so hard to copy each other. This seems a bit fake!"

"Wow! This is so amazing that it borders on the supernatural!"

"Why are you showing this to me. I neither understand nor care."

Homework

Exercise 1

Complete the sentences. Use either, neither, either of or neither of.

Example: “Do you want tea or coffee?” “Either. I really don’t mind.

1. ”I’ve got two sisters, but ______ them is married.

2. “Is Friday or Saturday better for you?” “______ day is fine.”

3. We tried two restaurants last weekend, but ______ was very good.

4. I don’t know ______ the people in this photo.

5. ______ my parents can speak English. They only speak French.

6. There are two roads to the station. You can take ______ road – they’re both about the same.

7. I read both of his books, but I didn’t really enjoy ______ them.

8. “Which jacket do you prefer, the black one or the brown one?” “______. I don’t like them at all.”

Exercise 2

Write one sentence with either … or or neither … nor.

Example: He didn’t write and he didn’t phone. → He neither wrote nor phoned.

We could go to the cinema, or we could stay at home. → We could ...

She doesn’t speak French and she doesn’t speak German. → She speaks ...

You can pay by card, or you can pay in cash. → You can ...

The hotel didn’t have a lift and it didn’t have air conditioning. → The hotel had ...

I think the meeting is on Monday. Or maybe it’s on Tuesday. → The meeting is ...

The film wasn’t long and it wasn’t boring. → The film was ______________________________