Q.
I have been unable to find the answer to a simple grammar question. In my line of work I frequently list mutually exclusive findings in the form "either b or a". However, I have not been able to find an example of more than two mutually exclusive findings and how either/or should be used. Should I ALWAYS include "either", e.i., "either a, b or c" or is it correct to use an "or" only e.i., "a, b or c".
A.
To answer your question, I consulted Woe is I by Patricia T. O'Connor and A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker. Both of these books suggested that words like "either...or" are used with pairs. I would say that you don't need either if you are working with more than two elements.
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