either/or

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

[color=darkred]1-I will not be here on Monday or Tuesday.
2-I will not be here either on Monday or on Tuesday.

Can’t these sentences mean two things:
[color=red]a-On Monday or on Tuesday, I might not be here. (I might not be here on one of those days.)

[color=blue]b-I might be here neither on Monday nor on Tuesday. I think this would be the more usual meaning.

Gratefully,
Navi.

2

Both sentences 1 and 2 mean that you will definitely not be there on Monday or Tuesday.
In ‘b’, the word ‘on’ could be omitted ‘I might be here neither Monday nor Tuesday’ - though I would prefer to say ‘I might not be here on Monday or Tuesday’.

3

Iowtrish,

  1. I might not be here on Monday and Tuesday.
  2. I might not be here both Monday and Tuesday.
  3. Both Monday and Tuesday, I might not be here.
    Are they correct?
4

They are theoretically correct, but the meaning of 1 and 2 is slightly different from the sentences you had earlier. They suggest that you may be there on one of the days, but not both.
Sentence 3 suggests that it is questionable whether you will be there on either of the days. My sentence also means this, but is written in a more usual form.
The difference is the use of ‘Monday or Tuesday’ and ‘Monday and Tuesday’.