or
part of speech
conjunction
meaning for a pupil
1) Or gives a choice between two or more things: tea or juice? tree →
2) Or means if not, otherwise: Hurry, or you'll be late. tree →
3) Or can give another word for the same thing: a joey, or baby kangaroo. tree →
4) «Either … or» gives exactly two choices; «whether or not» means in either case. tree →
5) (casual) «Or what?» at the end pushes a question: «you coming or what?»; «or something», «or whatever» mean roughly, I'm not sure. tree →
6) (rough) «Or else!» at the end is a threat: «Give it back, or else!» tree →
7) (formal) The exam voice says «alternatively», «otherwise», «failing which», «or, equivalently», «either … or …», «respectively». tree →
sense in the lessons
choosing between two possibilities («Do we add or subtract?»); in everyday life choices («now or later?»), warnings («wear a hat or you'll get burnt»); «more or less» (about), «or so» (about); in maths «either … or», «is it odd or even?»; in casual talk «or what?», «or something»; in rough talk «or else»; in the exam voice «alternatively», «failing which», «either A or B»
examples
- First decide: are things coming together, or going away? tree →
- Do we add or subtract? tree →
- Do you want an apple or a banana? tree →
- Is 15 odd or even? tree →
- Put on sunscreen, or you will get sunburnt. tree →
- You can draw a cat, a dog or a horse. tree →
- We will be there in ten minutes or so. tree →
- A baby kangaroo, or joey, lives in its mum's pouch. tree →
- are you thick or what, it's 12 tree →
- Give my ball back, or else! tree →
- there's like 20 kids or something tree →
- Indicate whether the integer 15 is odd or even; failing which, no credit shall be awarded. tree →
- "Are you awake or asleep, One-Eye? tree →
note
No operation clue. Trap: «2 or 3 apples» is an estimate, not 5 apples; «20 or something» and «10 minutes or so» are about, not exact. «or else» is a threat or a bluff, and «or what?» is pushing, not a real choice. Do not mix «or» with «oar» (a paddle for a boat) and «ore» (rock with metal): they sound the same.
In the corpora
- A CV is a page or two listing someone's education, jobs and skills; Americans call it a résumé.
- An employment tribunal is a kind of court for work disputes, such as being sacked unfairly or not being paid what is owed.
- An inheritance is money or belongings left by someone who has died, as written in their will.
- There is rent or a mortgage, energy for heating and hot water, council tax, broadband and insurance.
- It moves as numbers when a card is tapped, a bill goes out or pay comes in.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «or» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.