Can Both used with non count nouns?

Answer 1

Yes, the adjective 'both' can be used to describe some non-count nouns; for example:

• Both sheep have recovered from their injuries.
• We painted both barracks in olive drab.

Some non-count nouns are words for substances, like tea or sand. These non-count nouns do have a plural form used as a shorthand for 'types of' or 'kinds of', like black tea and jasmine tea or fine sand and coarse sand. The adjective 'both' can be used for these these plurals; for example:

• They have jasmine and black. I like both teas.
• They have fine and coarse. Both sands are the same price.

The adjective 'both' can't be used non-count nouns for other substances such as elements, like oxygen or aluminum. These nouns have no plural form; the adjective 'both' can be used to describe the units of these, for example:

• You need both tanks of oxygen.
• I'll take both rolls of aluminum.

The adjective 'both' can't be used for aggregate non-count nouns, such as news, advice, or education unless there was a qualifying noun preceding it, for example:

• both broadcasts of news
• both pieces of advice
• both forms of education

The indefinite pronoun 'both' can take the place of any abstract nouns, for example:

• He has intelligence and wit, both are valuable assets.