This pattern is used when you face two opposite or contrasting possibilities and cannot decide between them. It often appears with verbs like 言える (can say), 判断する (to judge), or 決める (to decide) in negative or questioning contexts. For example, とも言える means 'can be said either way', and とも判断できない means 'cannot judge either way'. The two items are usually antonyms or alternatives, such as 良い and 悪い, or 行く and 行かない. The nuance is one of genuine uncertainty; the speaker is not just hesitating but presents both sides as equally plausible. This is a written, formal pattern, common in essays, news analysis, or intellectual discussion. In casual speech, it sounds stiff or bookish. Instead of saying both とも, a speaker might say AともBとも言えない, which still uses the pattern, but the pattern itself is not colloquial. Note that the items must be of the same grammatical type: both nouns, both verbs, or both adjectives. Do not mix, for example, a noun with a verb.