Either … or…
Either… or… connects two choices:
- I’ve saved some money to buy either [choice 1] a DVD player or [choice 2] an MP3 player.
We use either… or… to connect items which are the same grammatical type, e.g. words, phrases, clauses:
- We can either pre- or post-date the document. I don’t mind. (connecting prefixes)
- It’s either black or grey. I can’t remember. (connecting words)
- You can stay either with me or with Janet. (connecting phrases)
- Either I drive to the airport or I get a taxi. (connecting clauses)
The opposite of either… or… is neither… nor…. We use it to make negative statements connecting items:
- We got so wet. We had neither umbrellas nor raincoats with us!
- Neither our families nor our friends know that we are getting married!
See also
- Conjunctions
- Neither … nor