because they were either

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "because they were either" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when explaining a reason or condition that involves two possibilities or options. Example: "The project was delayed because they were either unprepared or lacking the necessary resources."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The space gangs turned up because they were either tracking Han or tracking the Falcon for the First Order.

The Guardian - Film

Several voters asked a reporter to fill out their ballots because they were either illiterate or did not have pens.

The New York Times

Mr. Palast notes that in the 2000 election, almost 180,000 Florida votes were rejected because they were either blank or contained overvotes.

The New York Times

Blackburn plays things because they were either hits or ought to have been, not because they win brownie points with industry or press.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Several prominent Democrats have since announced they would not seek re-election because they were either paired with other incumbent Democrats or pushed into unfamiliar districts.

The New York Times

She saw and rejected more than 100 apartments south of 23rd Street because they were either too expensive or too small or in terrible shape.

The New York Times

For almost 20 years Red Balloon has recovered children who self-excluded from school because they were either severely bullied or experienced a traumatic event in their life.

The Guardian

It has been sparked by an undercover newspaper investigation into sex-selection abortions, secretly filming doctors at British clinics agreeing to terminate foetuses because they were either male or female.

The Guardian

Segregated because they were either married to non-Jewish Germans or the progeny of such marriages, the Rosenstrasse prisoners huddled together while outside, their German relatives, women mostly, started an unprecedented protest against the Nazi terror machine.

The New York Times

But there is one approach that is useless, represented by an incident I remember of an Englishman at breakfast in the Peking Hotel in 1979 sending back boiled eggs three and four times, because they were either under or overdone.

The New Yorker

While preparing his recipe for Chick-fil-A's breaded boneless chicken sandwiches, Cathy used breasts that had been rejected by the airlines' food service because they were either too small or too large for passenger food trays.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "because they were either", ensure that the two options presented are mutually exclusive and cover all reasonable possibilities. This strengthens the logic and clarity of your statement.

Common error

Avoid using "because they were either" if there are more than two realistic possibilities. If more than two options exist, use a more inclusive phrase or list all the options explicitly. For example, instead of saying "The project failed because they were either inexperienced or underfunded", consider "The project failed because they were inexperienced, underfunded, or poorly managed".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "because they were either" functions as a causal conjunction, introducing a clause that explains a reason consisting of two alternatives. Ludwig confirms that this structure is grammatically sound and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

31%

News & Media

59%

Formal & Business

2%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "because they were either" is a grammatically correct and frequently used phrase that serves as a causal conjunction, presenting two alternative explanations or conditions. As Ludwig AI points out, this expression is widely applicable across various contexts, including news, science, and formal writing. To effectively use this phrase, ensure that the two options presented are mutually exclusive and comprehensively cover the possibilities. Be mindful of potential errors such as presenting incomplete options. Given its versatility and clarity, "because they were either" remains a valuable tool for expressing reasoning in both spoken and written English.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

as they were possibly

Replaces "either" with "possibly", softening the definitive nature of the two options.

since they happened to be

Replaces "were either" with "happened to be", implying a coincidental situation.

due to their being

Replaces "because they were either" with a more concise causal phrase.

since they could be

This version replaces "were either" with "could be", suggesting a conditional or hypothetical possibility.

given that they turned out to be

Replaces "were either" with "turned out to be", suggesting a discovery or realization of the two possibilities.

as a result of them being

Similar to "due to", this rephrases the causal link with slightly more emphasis.

as they might have been

Replaces "were either" with "might have been", expressing a sense of possibility or conjecture.

considering they might have been

Replaces "were either" with "might have been", expressing uncertainty about the two possibilities.

owing to their nature as

This alternative provides a formal and sophisticated way to indicate that the reason is the characteristics of something.

on account of their being

Offers a similar level of formality as "owing to", indicating the origin is a specific quality or reason.

FAQs

How can I use "because they were either" in a sentence?

Use "because they were either" to introduce two possible reasons or conditions for something. For example, "The game was canceled "because they were either" unprepared or it was raining".

What are some alternatives to "because they were either"?

Alternatives include "due to them being", "since they could be", or "as they might have been", depending on the context and desired level of formality. See other alternatives "since they happened to be".

Is it grammatically correct to say "because they were either"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The phrase is used to introduce two possibilities that explain a particular situation or outcome.

What's the difference between "because they were either" and "because they had either"?

"Because they were either" describes the state of being, while "because they had either" indicates possession or experience. For example, "They failed "because they were either" unprepared or unlucky" versus "They failed because they had either missed the deadline or misunderstood the instructions".