choice between either

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "choice between either" is not correct in standard English usage.
The word "either" already implies a choice between two options, so the phrase is redundant. Example: "You have a choice between coffee or tea."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

This leaves the government with a stark choice between either advocating that people pay higher contributions or forcing later retirement.

The Guardian

But PoliticsHome tried asking whom people would prefer if they had to make a choice between either Darling or Osborne.

The Guardian

He sought to negate the position assumed up till that point by both the Jewish and Christian hierarchy that one had a choice between either Judaism or Christianity.

The Guardian - Opinion

"But the fact is that we laid out very clearly – and Canadians get – that it's actually not a choice between either immigration or security, that of course they go together".

The Guardian

In contested director elections, the binary nature of the current US proxy voting regime requires a choice between either a company's or an activist's slate without the ability to "mix and match" among nominees.

Harvard University

Sarraj faces a choice between either seeking to defend the capital and waiting for international diplomatic pressure to force Haftar to retreat, or instead launching offensives of his own, thereby escalating the war and possibly losing international backing.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

Each choice was between either two similarly ranked items — both relatively low-value or both relatively high-value — or two items that were on opposite ends of the spectrum.

The New Yorker

As modelers, we're presented with a choice between fictions: either we join LRC in pretending that the intermediate levels of aggregation don't exist, or we make use of them.

Cornell University

In 1958 Pope Pius XII died and was succeeded by Pope John XXIII, who, in 1959, after giving Lefebvre the choice between remaining either as Apostolic Delegate or as Archbishop of Dakar, appointed another to the post of Apostolic Delegate for French Africa.

Wikipedia

Prominent features emerging from a variety of psychophysics experiments implying a choice between alternatives (either conscious or unconscious, as in binocular rivalry), are the very wide range of decision times and their variability [15], [31], [2], with distributions exhibiting long tails that can be approximated as exponential (see e.g. [32]).

Plosone

Having assessed the diversity of the grapevine using a whole-genome sequencing approach as well as a genotyping array, it is evident that the choice between using either of these two technologies depends very much on the purpose of the study at hand.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "choice between" without "either" for grammatical correctness. For example, say "You have a choice between coffee and tea" instead of "You have a choice between either coffee or tea."

Common error

Do not use "either" after "choice between". The word "either" is already implied by "choice between", so using both is redundant and grammatically incorrect.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "choice between either" functions as a prepositional phrase, often introducing a set of alternatives. However, according to Ludwig AI, its usage is generally deemed incorrect due to redundancy, as "either" is often superfluous.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Science

32%

Academia

12%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Encyclopedias

4%

Formal & Business

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "choice between either" presents a tricky case. While examples show its usage across various contexts like news, science, and academia, Ludwig AI flags it as grammatically incorrect due to redundancy; "either" is unnecessary following "choice between". Therefore, to maintain grammatical precision, it's best to opt for the shorter "choice between" or other alternatives like "option of". While common, remember that correctness is king!

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

choice between

Omits "either", resulting in a grammatically correct and concise phrasing.

option of either

Replaces "choice between" with "option of", maintaining the sense of selection while avoiding redundancy.

selection between

Substitutes "choice" with "selection", keeping the focus on picking from alternatives.

pick between

Uses the verb "pick" to indicate a selection process, offering a more informal tone.

preference between

Highlights the act of favoring one option over another.

choose between

Employs the verb "choose" to emphasize the decision-making aspect.

decide between

Focuses on the resolution of uncertainty among options.

distinction between

Highlights a clear difference that necessitates a choice.

discernment between

Emphasizes a careful consideration of alternatives to inform choice.

judgment between

Implies a formal assessment leading to a selection.

FAQs

Why is "choice between either" considered grammatically incorrect?

The phrase "choice between either" is considered incorrect because the word "either" already implies a choice between two options. Using "between" and "either" together is redundant. It's more concise and grammatically sound to simply say "choice between".

What are some alternatives to "choice between either"?

Instead of "choice between either", you can use alternatives such as "choice between", "option of", or "selection between" depending on the context.

Is it ever appropriate to use "choice between either" in formal writing?

No, it's generally not appropriate to use "choice between either" in formal writing. It is considered grammatically incorrect due to its redundancy. Opt for the simpler and more correct "choice between".

What's the difference between "choice between either" and "choice between"?

The phrase "choice between either" is redundant because "either" implies a selection from two possibilities, which is already conveyed by "choice between". Using just "choice between" is grammatically correct and more concise.