either
part of speech
determiner, pronoun (either); adverb (either); conjunction (either … or)
meaning for a pupil
1) Either means one or the other of two: you can have either an apple or a pear. tree →
2) Either also means each of two, both: there are trees on either side of the road. tree →
3) After «not», either means also: I do not like it, and she does not either. tree →
sense in the lessons
In maths: a choice between two options; the two options are compared, not added; «either costs $5» means each one costs $5. In logic: «either A or B» means one of them is true. In everyday talk: «either way» means whichever happens. Phrases: either … or, either way, either side, not … either, either one.
examples
- You can pick either 2 red or 3 blue marbles. tree →
- Either ticket costs $5. tree →
- She did not like either book. tree →
- Which costs less, either way? tree →
- There are lamps on either side of the door. tree →
- You can sit on either chair. tree →
- I cannot swim, and my brother cannot either. tree →
- Either we take the bus or we walk. tree →
note
Say «EYE-ther» or «EE-ther»; both are right. Opposite in negatives: «neither» (not one and not the other). Use «either» with a singular verb: either book is fine. A choice word; the two options are compared, not added. Trap: «either costs $5» means each one costs $5.
In the corpora
- Surprising does not mean false, and it does not mean true either: it means check.
- You do not need to trust either; you can work it out yourself, and the working is the proof.
- Suddenly the Queen stands in front of them, frowning like a thunderstorm: «either you or your head must be off».
- The Queen: «either you or your head must be off, and that in about half no time!
- And that's something that doesn't matter, either to you or me.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «either» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.