Kata both kecil. Tapi posisinya dalam kalimat bisa mengubah arti. Dan satu kesalahan umum: menambahkan of saat tidak perlu, atau lupa of saat harus.
Banyak pembelajar Indonesia menulis both of my parents are teacher (lupa jamak) atau they both are coming (letak salah). Masih paham, tapi terdengar tidak alami.
Mari bedah aturan pakai both dalam 5 menit. Tanpa teori bertele-tele.
Both Artinya “Keduanya”
Both merujuk pada dua orang, dua benda, dua hal, dua kelompok. Tidak bisa untuk tiga atau lebih. Untuk tiga atau lebih, pakai all.
- Benar: Both of my hands are clean. (dua tangan)
- Salah: Both of my fingers are dirty (jika ada sepuluh jari). Pakai all.
Posisi Both dalam Kalimat
Aturan utama: both biasanya diletakkan setelah kata kerja to be (am, is, are, was, were), tapi sebelum kata kerja aksi.
Setelah To Be
- They are both teachers. (Bukan They both are teachers – tidak salah tapi kurang alami)
- We were both tired.
- The options are both good.
Sebelum Kata Kerja Aksi
- They both work at the same company.
- We both like coffee.
- The children both ate all their vegetables.
Dalam Tense dengan Auxiliary (have, will, can, must, should)
Letakkan both setelah auxiliary pertama.
- We have both seen the movie. (Bukan We both have seen – boleh, tapi kurang alami)
- They will both arrive at 8.
- You can both come to the party.
- We should both apologize.
Dalam Kalimat Negatif
Both dalam negatif bisa berarti tidak keduanya (bukan satu dari keduanya tidak). Hati-hati.
- Both of them are not coming. (Artinya: tidak keduanya datang. Bisa berarti satu datang, satu tidak. Ambigu.)
Lebih jelas pakai neither: Neither of them is coming. (keduanya tidak datang)
Untuk negasi jelas, hindari both + not. Pakai neither atau not either.
Both… And: Pasangan Wajib
Both sering berpasangan dengan and untuk menghubungkan dua kata, frasa, atau klausa yang setara.
Rumus: both + A + and + B
Contoh:
- She is both smart and kind. (dua sifat)
- He both sings and dances. (dua tindakan)
- I visited both Jakarta and Bandung. (dua tempat)
Perhatikan: setelah both dan setelah and, bentuk kata harus paralel. Jangan tulis She is both smart and has kindness (tidak paralel: smart adjective, has kindness verb phrase). Perbaiki: She is both smart and kind.
Both of: Kapan Pakai Of?
Ini sumber kesalahan terbesar.
Pakai both of jika diikuti kata ganti orang (us, you, them) atau kata benda dengan penentu (the, my, these, those).
Wajib pakai both of sebelum kata ganti
- Both of us are ready. (Bukan both us are ready)
- Both of them were late.
- I invited both of you.
Boleh pakai both of atau both sebelum kata benda dengan penentu
- Both of my parents work. = Both my parents work. (sama-sama benar)
- Both of the books are expensive. = Both the books are expensive.
- Both of these shirts fit me. = Both these shirts fit me.
Perbedaan: versi dengan of sedikit lebih formal. Tapi keduanya diterima.
Tidak perlu of sebelum kata benda tanpa penentu (kata benda umum)
- Both children are asleep. (Bukan both of children – karena children tanpa the atau my)
- Both answers are correct.
- Both countries signed the agreement.
Kesalahan Umum
1. Menambah of tanpa alasan
Salah: Both of children are playing.
Benar: Both children are playing. (atau Both of the children jika pakai the)
2. Lupa of sebelum kata ganti
Salah: Both us are tired.
Benar: Both of us are tired.
3. Lupa kata kerja jamak
Both selalu diikuti kata kerja jamak (plural), karena merujuk pada dua entitas.
Salah: Both of the cat is sleeping.
Benar: Both of the cats are sleeping. atau Both cats are sleeping.
4. Both diikuti they berlebihan
Salah: Both they are students.
Benar: Both of them are students. atau They are both students.
5. Menggunakan both untuk tiga atau lebih
Salah: Both of my three brothers live in Jakarta.
Benar: All three of my brothers live in Jakarta.
6. Both dalam kalimat negatif membingungkan
Salah (ambigu): Both of them didn’t come.
Lebih baik: Neither of them came.
Both sebagai Kata Ganti (Pronoun)
Both bisa berdiri sendiri sebagai subjek atau objek tanpa diikuti kata benda, jika konteks sudah jelas.
- I have two sisters. Both are married. (Both di sini = both sisters)
- She offered me tea and coffee. I took both. (both = both tea and coffee)
- We need two volunteers. Both will get a prize.
Both dengan Kata Benda Tunggal (Khusus)
Jika dua benda membentuk satu kesatuan, kata benda bisa tunggal. Tapi ini jarang.
- Both the front and back door were locked. (door tunggal karena masing-masing satu pintu depan dan satu pintu belakang)
- Tapi lebih umum pakai jamak: Both doors were locked.
Saran: pakai jamak untuk aman.
Perbedaan Both dan Either
- Both = satu DAN satu lagi (A dan B)
- Either = salah satu dari dua (A atau B)
Contoh:
- Both of us can drive. (Kami berdua bisa menyetir)
- Either of us can drive. (Salah satu dari kami bisa menyetir – tidak perlu keduanya)
Jangan tertukar.
Latihan 1: Pilih Both atau Both Of
- “_ my parents are doctors.” → Both (bisa juga Both of karena my adalah penentu, tapi Both lebih ringkas)
- “_ us need to leave now.” → Both of (wajib sebelum us)
- “_ children were crying.” → Both (tanpa of, karena children tanpa penentu)
- “I like _ those colors.” → Both (bisa juga Both of karena those penentu)
- “_ you and I know the truth.” → Both (dilanjut and, tidak pakai of)
Latihan 2: Posisi Both yang Benar
Tulis ulang kalimat dengan posisi both tepat.
- Are both they coming? → Are they both coming?
- We have both finished the test. → sudah benar (setelah auxiliary have)
- Both the options are expensive for me. → The options are both expensive for me. (posisi setelah are lebih alami)
- They both don’t smoke. → Neither of them smokes. (hindari both dalam negatif. Tapi jika dipaksa: Both of them don’t smoke terdengar aneh. Lebih baik They both smoke? No, neither smokes.)
Latihan 3: Perbaiki Kesalahan
- Both of my hand is dirty. → Both of my hands are dirty.
- Both us want to go. → Both of us want to go.
- She is both intelligent and she has beauty. → She is both intelligent and beautiful.
- Both of three answers are correct. → All three answers are correct.
- They both are my best friend. → They are both my best friends. (jamak: friends)
Proyek Akhir: Paragraf Mini
Tulis 3 kalimat tentang dua pilihan (misal: dua jurusan kuliah, dua merek ponsel, dua rute perjalanan). Gunakan both, both…and, dan both of dengan benar.
Contoh:
Both computer science and graphic design interest me. Both of them have good job prospects. However, I am both creative and analytical, so I might struggle to choose.
Periksa: kalimat 1: both…and paralel (computer science AND graphic design). Kalimat 2: both of them (kata ganti them → wajib of). Kalimat 3: both creative and analytical (adjective paralel). Benar.
Both untuk dua entitas. Letakkan setelah to be (they are both ready) atau sebelum kata kerja aksi (they both work). Untuk negatif, hindari both dan pakai neither. Gunakan both of wajib sebelum kata ganti (both of us). Sebelum kata benda dengan penentu (the, my, these), both dan both of sama-sama benar. Sebelum kata benda tanpa penentu, hanya both (both children). Ingat kata kerja selalu jamak. Dan both…and untuk paralelisme.
Both tidak sulit. Hanya butuh satu kebiasaan: perhatikan apa yang mengikuti. Jika kata ganti orang (us, you, them), selalu tambah of. Jika kata benda dengan the atau my, of boleh dipakai atau tidak. Jika kata benda biasa, jangan pakai of. Dan jangan pernah pakai both untuk tiga atau lebih.
Sekarang buka catatan. Tulis lima kalimat tentang dua teman Anda. Gunakan both di posisi berbeda. Baca keras-keras. Jika ada yang terasa janggal, periksa posisi dan pakai of.
Both of you can master this. Both you and I know it.