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Subject:Either/or - keep it parallel From:Mark Levinson <mark -at- SD -dot- CO -dot- IL> Date:Thu, 19 Jan 1995 11:11:10 IST
What's more important grammatical exactness or readability?
** Now there's an irritating question, but in this case a moot one. What you
consider more readable in this case is also better grammar. What follows
"either" and what follows "or" should be grammatically parallel.
RIGHT:
Entries are either alphanumeric strings
or a choice between several preset strings.
RIGHT:
Entries either are alphanumeric strings
or are a choice between several preset strings.
(but who can say "or are a" without sounding like the neighbor's dog?)
WRONG:
Entries either are alphanumeric strings
or a choice between several preset strings.
__________________________________________________________________________
||- Mark L. Levinson, mark -at- sd -dot- co -dot- il -- Box 5780, 46157 Herzlia, Israel -||
|| If God intended 1 space between sentences, why do we have 2 thumbs? ||
