or

1. When or separates two singular nouns, the following verb should be in the singular:

A paint or steel company or a salt or coal mine was no place for the late Herr Baumgartner's widow—Anita Desai, 1988.

(When both nouns are plural the verb is of course also plural.) The following example is acceptable informally, but strictly or should be replaced by and, or the plural complement replaced by a singular one (...is a typical method):

☒ A cassette recorder or disk system are typical methods—Choosing and using Your Home Computer, 1984.

When one of the nouns is singular and the other plural, the verb normally agrees with the one nearer to it, and the same applies to mixes of person as in she or we, you or your brother, etc.: The child or its parents sign the form / Were you or your brother there?.

2. For or after either see either 2b, and after neither see neither ⁵.

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