Either…Or & Other / Another
Correlative Conjunctions & Determiners Revision
EITHER…OR… — two positive options | NEITHER…NOR… — two negative options
Exercise 1: Either…Or… or Neither…Nor…?
Read each context and choose the correct conjunction pair.
1.She doesn't like coffee. She doesn't like tea.
2.You can choose red or blue — both are available.
3.He doesn't speak French. He doesn't speak German.
4.Friday and Saturday both work for me — choose one.
5.The restaurant has no vegan food and no vegetarian options available.
6.I'll travel by train or bus — I haven't decided yet.
7.My boss doesn't understand. My colleagues don't understand either.
8.The shop accepts card and cash — your choice.
ANOTHER — singular countable (one more) | OTHER — plural or uncountable | THE OTHER — the specific remaining one | OTHERS — stands alone with no noun
Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Word — Another / Other / Others / The Other
Choose the correct determiner for each sentence.
1.This cake is delicious! Can I have _____ slice?
2.Some people prefer living in the city. _____ prefer the countryside.
3.I have two brothers. One is a doctor. _____ is an engineer.
4.That was a great question. Do you have any _____ questions?
5.I don't like this apartment. I want to visit _____ one first.
6.She's fluent in English and three _____ languages.
7.I've finished one report. _____ reports are still on my desk.
8.I don't enjoy relying on _____ people for help.
Exercise 3: Match Each Sentence Beginning to Its Correct Ending
Click a sentence beginning on the left, then click the correct ending on the right.
Beginning
Ending
Exercise 4: Drag & Drop — Complete the Sentence
Drag the correct word or phrase from the bank into each sentence. Each word is used exactly once.
📚 Vocabulary Bank — Drag the words below:
1.She speaks [ Drop here ] Spanish nor Portuguese — she never had the chance to learn.
2.Could I have [ Drop here ] slice of that cake, please?
3.Some guests arrived on time. [ Drop here ] showed up almost two hours late.
4.I brought two bags. You can take [ Drop here ] — I'll carry this one.
5.The renovation was [ Drop here ] expensive and extremely disruptive for the family.
6.You can submit in [ Drop here ] format — digital or printed, whichever you prefer.
7.There are [ Drop here ] approaches worth trying before we consider giving up.
Exercise 5: Fill in the Gap
Type the correct word or phrase in each gap. The italicised hint describes the meaning — do not copy it as your answer.
1.I have two sisters. One is a nurse. is a teacher. (specific remaining one of two)
2.Could I have coffee, please? This one has gone cold. (one more, singular countable)
3.She can speak French nor German — only her native language. (negative: not this one, not that one)
4.Some students passed the exam. failed and will need to resit. (stands alone — no noun follows)
5.He has the experience and the confidence to lead the team. (affirms two things at once)
6.There are issues we need to discuss at today's meeting. (other + plural noun)
BOTH…AND — affirms two qualities simultaneously: She is both talented and hardworking. | NEITHER…NOR takes a singular verb when both subjects are singular: Neither he nor she was there.
Exercise 6: Rewrite the Sentence
Combine or rewrite each item as a single sentence using the structure shown in brackets.
1.She doesn't like coffee. She doesn't like tea. (Use neither…nor)
2.You can travel by train. You can travel by bus. (Use either…or)
3.The documentary was informative. It was beautifully filmed. (Use both…and)
4.I don't want this room — it's too noisy. Ask for a different one. (Use another)
5.I have two keys. Keep one. Give the remaining key to your flatmate. (Use the other)
6.Some people supported the proposal. The rest were strongly opposed. (Use others)
N
E
R
D
Word Origin
Naturally Eccentric, Remarkably Different
Word Origin
Naturally Eccentric, Remarkably Different
| Word / Phrase | Category | Origin & Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Either | etymology | Old English ǣgþer, contracted from ǣghwæþer — formed from ā (always) + ge- + hwæþer (which of two). Its original meaning was actually 'both' — it narrowed over centuries to mean 'one or the other of two'. |
| Neither | etymology | Old English nāhwæþer, from ne (not) + āhwæþer (either). Literally 'not either'. Whatever 'either' offers as a choice, 'neither' denies both options simultaneously. |
| Nor | etymology | Old English ne (not) + or (from hwæþer), contracted over centuries to a single syllable. It functions only as the second half of neither…nor — it reinforces the negation and cannot stand alone at the start of a clause. |
| Both | etymology | From Old Norse báðir, related to Old English bā — 'the two together'. One of very few common English words with a clear Old Norse origin. It implies completeness — affirming that neither of two things is excluded. |
| Another | etymology | Middle English: literally an (one) + other. Written as two separate words — 'an other' — until the 15th century when they fused into one. This is why you cannot say an another: the article is already baked in. |
| Other | etymology | Old English ōþer, from Proto-Germanic *anþeraz — 'the second of two'. Related to German ander (other). One of the oldest and most stable words in English — it appears in the very earliest written texts of the language. |
| Correlative conjunction | grammar | From Latin co- (together) + relatus (related back) + coniunctio (joining). A matched pair of conjunctions where both elements must appear and each 'calls for' the other: either…or, neither…nor, both…and. Removing either half breaks the structure. |
| Determiner | grammar | From Latin determinare — 'to set limits, fix the boundaries of'. A determiner precedes a noun to specify its reference. Another, other, and the other are determiners — they define whether we mean one more unspecified thing, a general category, or the one specific remaining item. |