This is a quote from a book:
Leibniz was both philosopher and mathematician.
To me it should be "both a philosopher and (a) mathematician." Is the article a optionall after both? Does both includes a?
-
Searched on authentic sites, both practices are okay - with or without articles. But it's a thought provoking question. +1– Maulik VCommented Aug 1, 2014 at 5:11
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
If he is just one of them:
Leibniz was a philosopher.
then a is necessary. But when he is both:
Leibniz was both philosopher and mathematician.
then he is two things (philosopher and mathematician), so a is not appropriate.
However, as you mentioned you could say;
Leibniz was both a philosopher and a mathematician.
which treats each one separately. I believe this would be technically correct.
That sentence is grammatically correct, although it would be a bit clearer if the a were included. Both can include a, although it is more common to see them used together, as it typically clarifies the sentence.
A more common usage of both by itself might be, for example, in a eulogy. Something like "I knew him as both Grandfather and friend." In this case, the addition of an article would not serve to clarify the sentence or make it more readable.
