Grammar help Please

[Fellow Traveler]

Take the phrase " roses grew on each side of the path". Should that be "roses grew on either side of the path"? I've always written it the as "each" but I hear more people saying "either"

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Either would mean one or the other. Why not say on both sides of the path?

 

[Monketi Ghost]

Take the phrase " roses grew on each side of the path". Should that be "roses grew on either side of the path"? I've always written it the as "each" but I hear more people saying "either"

I would think using either would be imprecise and imply a choice whereas each side is direct and informative.

 

[angrysoba]

Either can mean "both" in this context. I would only avoid it where there is a reasonable chance of being ambiguous, for example if you giving instructions to plant flowers on either side of the path, someone could think you mean they should choose a side to plant the flowers.

 

[Dani]

Either can mean "both" in this context. I would only avoid it where there is a reasonable chance of being ambiguous, for example if you giving instructions to plant flowers on either side of the path, someone could think you mean they should choose a side to plant the flowers.

I agree with either of you.

 

[Loss Leader]

Take the phrase " roses grew on each side of the path". Should that be "roses grew on either side of the path"? I've always written it the as "each" but I hear more people saying "either"

"Each" seems correct to me. "Either" seems wrong - as though the speaker is attempting to sound intelligent and, like Sarah Palin, failing hilariously.

 

[Corsair 115]

Either would mean one or the other. Why not say on both sides of the path?

Or more simply "roses grew along the path" or "roses grew beside the path".

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Or more simply "roses grew along the path" or "roses grew beside the path".

Because "roses grew along the path" could mean they were planted in the middle of the path? And, "roses grew beside the path" does not specify that they grew on both sides of the path?

 

[Puppycow]

I would accept any of "each", "either" or "both".

"Either" does not mean one or the other in this context. It means both.

ei·ther
ˈēT͟Hər,ˈīT͟Hər/
conjunction & adverb
conjunction: either; adverb: either

1.
used before the first of two (or occasionally more) alternatives that are being specified (the other being introduced by “or”).
"either I'll accompany you to your room, or I'll wait here"
2.
used to indicate a similarity or link with a statement just made.
"you don't like him, do you? I don't, either"
for that matter; moreover (used to add information).
"I was too tired to go. And I couldn't have paid my way, either"

determiner & pronoun
determiner: either; pronoun: either

1.
one or the other of two people or things.
"there were no children of either marriage"
each of two. "the road was straight with fields of grass on either side"

 

[Susheel]

In the situation mentioned, I would go with "either". As someone mentioned earlier, there is really no danger of ambiguity.

However, for the sake of full disclosure, English is not culturally my first language. It is however, the language I am least inept at.

 

[Lothian]

'Either' is fine it can be used as 'each'. The choice aspects comes when 'or' is added e.g. either this or that.

Being common I personally would use 'both'.

 

[angrysoba]

'Either' is fine it can be used as 'each'. The choice aspects comes when 'or' is added e.g. either this or that.

Being common I personally would use 'both'.

Being posh I would ordinarily say, "dexter and sinister, the twain were florally bedecked" but people look at me weird when I says it.

 

[commandlinegamer]

As we toured the garden, Lady Mary explained that roses used to grow along either side of the path, but an insane pedant had come along and ripped them all out.

 

[Fellow Traveler]

Either would mean one or the other. Why not say on both sides of the path?

I have used "both" in Tech documents in this context. Never been called on it.

 

[Beerina]

Either can mean "both" in this context. I would only avoid it where there is a reasonable chance of being ambiguous, for example if you giving instructions to plant flowers on either side of the path, someone could think you mean they should choose a side to plant the flowers.

Thank you.

Similarly, stop using "and/or" in speech and writing unless you are discussing logic or computer programming.

Nobody did this before computers. In ordinary parlance, "or" already means and/or.

For that matter, "and/or"-sayers, to be technically correct, you should say "and/xor", which reduces to "or" anyway. "And/or" is thus always wrong.

 

[Minoosh]

Similarly, stop using "and/or" in speech and writing unless you are discussing logic or computer programming.

I understand the point about "or" being sufficient, but if and/or has fallen into public speech it will likely remain there. I've worked with a lot of editors and all have had their own pet peeves. One who I respected greatly would not allow "scumbag" or "snafu" to make it into the newspaper.

What I hate is, "between 5 and 10 people will be finalists." "Five to 10 people will be finalists" makes more sense to me.

On the roses, I was picturing the path and thinking it might be delightful. It made me want to know more about the path. "Each side" or "both sides" works better than "either."

 

[aleCcowaN]

Either can mean "both" in this context. I would only avoid it where there is a reasonable chance of being ambiguous, for example if you giving instructions to plant flowers on either side of the path, someone could think you mean they should choose a side to plant the flowers.

I agree. And when I agree, I don't trust myself, so I searched it in

The Corpus of Contemporary American English (about 450 million words):
each side of the: 524 instances (implying "both" all those I glanced)
either side of the: 1281 instances (implying "both" most of those I glanced)

The British National Corpus (about 150 million words)
each side of: 316 instances ("both", most of them)
either side of the: 900 instances ("both", most of them)

But, what do I know? Maybe their meanings elude me.

Being posh I would ordinarily say, "dexter and sinister, the twain were florally bedecked" but people look at me weird when I says it.

I said it a diestra y siniestra ("left and right; all over the place" in Spanish), a little less now Dexter ended.

 

[angrysoba]

I agree. And when I agree, I don't trust myself, so I searched it in

The Corpus of Contemporary American English (about 450 million words):
each side of the: 524 instances (implying "both" all those I glanced)
either side of the: 1281 instances (implying "both" most of those I glanced)

The British National Corpus (about 150 million words)
each side of: 316 instances ("both", most of them)
either side of the: 900 instances ("both", most of them)

But, what do I know? Maybe their meanings elude me.



I said it a diestra y siniestra ("left and right; all over the place" in Spanish), a little less now Dexter ended.

Hi there, so the corpora results show that "either side of" is more common than "each side of" on either side of the Atlantic?

That's interesting, and I wanted to do a corpus search myself. Just out of interest, how did you have access to the corpus data? I think I have tried in the past to use the BNC and not been able to, although I did have access to the Birmingham Corpus once.

 

[aleCcowaN]

That's interesting, and I wanted to do a corpus search myself.

Both links in my post give you direct access to the search tool.

This is the link to the 13 instances of "either side of the path" in COCA [if it doesn't work from your location, try to search it directly -no need to use quotation marks-. There's only one instance of "each side of the path", and 4 of "both sides of the path" -I know each and both are pretty different though the result here is the same-

BNC will hang when it's asked a complex search.

I can't judge both corpora as I can do with those in Spanish, but it seems to me that COCA is rich in "half-way" texts, like articles in magazines addressed to average Joe, while BNC sounds to me like tending to the posher side of the seesaw/teeter-totter. I would love to know your opinion about the corpora.

Using the links in my previous post, you can write a short phrase in the search box, click the button, and Robert is your avuncular relation, so to speak.

 

[angrysoba]

Thanks. The BYU one looks quite easy to use, actually. I suppose it also allows people to refine the search by only including certain sub-copora, such as Academic or Spoken.

Thanks.

It certainly looks like many of the examples used mean "both" as you say.