Either Or | Meaning, Use & Examples
Either … or is a correlative conjunction that is used to present two options or say that one of two things is true (e.g., “I’d like either ramen or sushi”).
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that are used to show the relationship between two words, phrases, or clauses. Others include neither … nor and not only … but also.
The movie was divisive: people either hated it or loved it.
Will you either wash the dishes or sweep the floor?
When to use either or
You can use either … or to present two options or possibilities (e.g., “We can go to either New York or Boston”) or to say that one of two things is true (e.g., “The capital of Arizona is either Phoenix or Tuscon”).
In almost all circumstances, “either” can be deleted, and the meaning of the sentence remains the same (e.g., “We can go to New York or Boston”). The inclusion of “either” usually serves to emphasize the fact that there are two options and only one can be selected.
Like all correlative conjunctions, either … or is used to connect two grammatically equal elements (e.g., two adjectives, two verb phrases, etc.). A comma is only needed when you use “either … or” to connect two independent clauses (i.e., simple sentences).
| Part of speech | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun/noun phrase | Either my assistant or I will be there. |
| Verb/verb phrase | We can either go out to eat or stay in. |
| Adjective/adjective phrase | I can’t concentrate if I am either hungry or tired. |
| Independent clause | Either you can go to the store after work, or I will go tomorrow morning. |
When people mistakenly connect two different parts of speech with a correlative conjunction, it creates a parallelism error. This can typically be fixed by moving the correlative conjunction.
- The president can either make a treaty with France or Italy.
- The president can make a treaty with either France or Italy.
Sometimes, people use either … or to connect more than two items (e.g., “I’d be happy with either pizza or sushi or curry”). However, since “either” means “one of two,” it is best to restrict its use to two options.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can help ensure you’re using either … or correctly.
Subject-verb agreement with either or
When either … or is used in a compound subject, you must consider subject-verb agreement. The verb agrees with whichever noun is closest to it.
- When both nouns are singular, the verb is singular.
- When both nouns are plural, the verb is plural.
- When one noun is singular and one is plural, look at the noun closer to the verb.
- Either the coach or the players need to calm down.
- Either the players or the coach needs to calm down.
- Either the players or the coach need to calm down.
Confusion can be avoided by placing the plural noun closer to the verb.
Frequently asked questions about either or
- Should I use either or or neither nor?
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The choice between the correlative conjunctions either … or and neither … nor depends on your intended meaning.
- Use either … or when you want to present two options (e.g., “We can either go out to eat or order in”).
- Use neither … nor when you want to express that two things are not true or did not happen (e.g., “We neither ate nor slept on the flight”).
When there is already a negative (e.g., “not,” “never “) in your sentence, use “or” to avoid a double negative (e.g., “We did not eat or sleep on the flight”).
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using correlative conjunctions correctly.
- What are some either or examples?
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Either … or is a correlative conjunction that can be used in a variety of ways in sentences. Some examples are:
- Either my mom or my dad will give me a ride.
- They said we could either sit in the balcony or stand near the stage.
- Either pay attention, or leave.
- I’ll take either a soda or a water.
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using either … or correctly.
