either
- 01 A2 Elementary
det.one or the other of two things or people.
det.referring to any one of two people, things, or possibilities.
Simple“You can park on either side of the street today.”
In context“The candidate was equally qualified for either position, making the final selection process exceptionally difficult for the hiring committee.”
UsageFollowed by a singular countable noun.
PitfallYou can take either books. You can take either book.When used as a determiner before a noun, 'either' must be followed by a singular countable noun.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
det.each of two things.
det.referring to each of two things, often used to describe things that come in pairs.
Simple“There were tall trees on either side of the river.”
In context“The guards stood at either end of the corridor, ensuring that no unauthorised personnel could enter the secure wing.”
UsageFollowed by a singular countable noun.
Teacher's tipIn this sense, 'either' is more formal than 'both'.
- 03 A2 Elementary
pron.one of two people or things, used without naming the noun again.
pron.the one or the other of two people or things; functions as the head of a noun phrase.
Simple“I have two pens; you can use either of them.”
In context“If either of the proposed solutions fails to address the budget deficit, the board will be forced to consider more drastic measures.”
UsageOften followed by 'of' plus a plural noun or pronoun.
Antonyms - 04 A2 Elementary
conj.used before the first of two choices to show a clear alternative.
conj.a correlative conjunction used to introduce the first of two or more alternatives, paired with 'or'.
Simple“We can either go to the cinema or stay at home and watch a movie.”
In context“The company must either invest heavily in new technology or risk losing its competitive advantage in the global market.”
UsagePairs with 'or' to connect words, phrases, or clauses.
Teacher's tipEnsure the elements following 'either' and 'or' are grammatically parallel.
- 05 A2 Elementary
adv.used at the end of a negative sentence to mean 'also'.
adv.used for emphasis after a negative statement to indicate that a further negative fact is also true.
Simple“I don't like spicy food, and my sister doesn't like it either.”
In context“The first experiment did not yield the expected results, and the subsequent trials were not successful either.”
UsageTypically placed at the end of a clause.
PitfallI don't like coffee too. I don't like coffee either.Use 'too' or 'also' in positive sentences, but use 'either' in negative sentences.
Usage either side · either direction · either directly
From Middle English either, from Old English ǣġhwæþer, from Proto-West Germanic aiw + gahwaþar. Akin to Old Saxon eogihwethar, iahwethar (Low German jeed); Old Dutch iogewether, iowether, *iother (Dutch ieder); Old High German eogihwedar, iegihweder, ieweder (German jeder).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.