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I recently saw this sentence,

"the system has not been yet used in both large and small cities".

I wonder if both can be used in negative sentences like this? If not, how can "either" be used in such a sentence where two names are mentioned afterwards? we cannot say EITHER large And small cities. also both refers to positive sentences.

Thank you in advance

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    The system has not yet been used in either large or small cities // the system has been used in neither large nor small cities as yet.
    – English Student
    Jun 12, 2017 at 22:38
  • The adverb placement (*the system has not been yet used) would suggest that it was not composed by a native English speaker, and that the quantifier-negative scope problem is not the only one this sentence has.
    – John Lawler
    Jun 12, 2017 at 22:58

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Replacing "both" with "either" would change the meaning of the sentence. If a system has not been used in both large and small cities, then it may have been used in one or the other, just not in both. If a system has not been used in either large or small cities, then it has been used in neither. In the latter case, one might opt for a "neither/nor" construction.

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