or else

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New2grammar

#502762 Sat, 19 Apr 08 09:31 PM

He better tell me where my car is or [else] he'll be beaten to death.

I'm trying to use "or else" but it seems like or else can always be replaced with or. What do you think?

Thanks!

New2grammar

Joined on Tue, Nov 21 2006

Forum Guru (5,630)

Doll

#502763 Sat, 19 Apr 08 09:35 PM

It can be replaced by "or" here. Actually, you don't replace it. You just omit "else". Smile It seems that it can be replaces almost in all contexts but I don't want to make a generalisation.

Doll

Joined on Sat, Mar 10 2007

Turkey

Advanced Member (2,192)

"Education costs money, but then so does ignorance." - Sir Claus Moser

New2grammar

#502765 Sat, 19 Apr 08 09:38 PM

Can you come up with a case where only "or else" is good?

New2grammar

Doll

#503476 Mon, 21 Apr 08 06:49 PM

For the time being, no.

Doll

Yoong Liat

#503480 Mon, 21 Apr 08 07:02 PM

He better tell me where my car is or [else] he'll be beaten to death.

He had better tell me where my car is or he'll be beaten to death. ( It''s correct to remove 'else', but it should be 'had better'.)

OR He'd better ... (especially in speech)

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Forum Guru (5,427)

Yoong Liat

RayH

#503483 Mon, 21 Apr 08 07:15 PM

New2grammar
He better tell me where my car is or [else] he'll be beaten to death.

I'm trying to use "or else" but it seems like or else can always be replaced with or. What do you think?

Actually, when you say "or else" in a context like this you omit the specific details of the threat. So "He better tell me where my car is, or else."
If you include the details of the threat then you are correct that "else" can (perhaps should) usually be omitted.

RayH

Joined on Sat, Mar 22 2008

CA, USA

Frequent Poster (432)

Native speaker of U. S. English. Not a grammar expert.

Grammar

New2grammar

#503486 Mon, 21 Apr 08 07:19 PM

Very interesting! Thanks RayH and everyone else.

New2grammar

Yoong Liat

#504218 Wed, 23 Apr 08 11:20 AM

RayH

New2grammar

He better tell me where my car is or [else] he'll be beaten to death.

I'm trying to use "or else" but it seems like or else can always be replaced with or. What do you think?

Actually, when you say "or else" in a context like this you omit the specific details of the threat. So "He better tell me where my car is, or else."
If you include the details of the threat then you are correct that "else" can (perhaps should) usually be omitted.

"He had better tell me where my car is, or else." [It should be 'had better, not just 'better'. OR He'd better ... (especially in speech)]

"He had better tell me where my car is, or else..." [(The sentence should end with three dots (ellipsis)]

Yoong Liat

Grammar