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Vandy Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

and/or?

When should "and/or" be used and when not?
  

Top answer

It is used to refer to either or both of two alternatives. 'You can have beans and/or peas with that' (you can have either beans or peas, or you can have both). Rover

— Rover_KE

  • It is used to refer to either or both of two alternatives.
  • 'You can have beans and/or peas with that' (you can have either beans or peas, or you can have both).
  • Rover
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6 Answers
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It is used to refer to either or both of two alternatives.

'You can have beans and/or peas with that' (you can have either beans or peas, or you can have both).

Rover
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vandy When should "and/or" be used and when not?
Never and ever. OK, in legal documents and casual writing.
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enoonNever
You may not like it, but a lot of people use it. COCA shows that it has appeared in some quite respectable magazines and journals.
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fivejedjon enoonNeverYou may not like it, but a lot of people use it. COCA shows that it has appeared in some quite respectable magazines and journals.
I was giving the OP the benefit of my experience and expertise. That is still OK, right? It is not English. It's a gimmick. Those quite respectable publications make themselves that much less respectable by usi
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enoonI was giving the OP the benefit of my experience and expertise.
You seemed to be giving a subjective opinion.
enoonIt is not English.
It is English. When I was at school, I was taught that using 'and/or' was a sign of laziness - we should use 'either or both'. But that was half a century ago. The language
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fivejedjonDon't be silly.
Don't be insulting.
fivejedjonThat is simply your opinion.
Right. That's all we have, and now we have heard yours. I think the OP has heard the two ends of the argument now.
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