either of the car (cars)

Many people write either of + singular noun (either of the car). Standard English requires a plural after either of: either of the cars. Use a singular verb when you mean "one or the other."

Quick answer: which form is correct?

Use either of + plural noun: either of the cars. If you mean one of the group, follow with a singular verb (Either of the cars is fine). If you mean both, rephrase: Both cars are fine.

Correct: either of the cars / either of the options / either of the students
Wrong: either of the car / either of the option / either of the student
Verb tip: either of + plural noun usually takes a singular verb when it means "one or the other" (Either of the books is torn).

Core explanation and verb agreement

Either of refers to a member of a group: "one or the other (of the group)." The noun after of must be plural: either of the cars, either of the options.

Choose the verb to match meaning: singular if you mean one, plural only if you explicitly mean more than one (use both or reword).

Structure: either of + plural noun + (singular verb when referring to one).
If you mean both items, use Both + plural noun + are.
Substitution test: if one of + noun sounds right, the noun must be plural.

Wrong → Right: Wrong: Either of the car is available. →
Right: Either of the cars is available.
Wrong → Right: Wrong: Either of the student are late. →
Right: Either of the students is late.
Wrong → Right: Wrong: Either of the options are acceptable. →
Right: Either of the options is acceptable (meaning one or the other).
Note: Both cars are ready (plural = both). Either of the cars is ready (singular verb = one or the other).

Examples: wrong/right pairs you can copy

Compact wrong/right examples for emails, essays, and conversation.

Wrong: Either of the car is blue. →
Right: Either of the cars is blue.
Wrong: Either of the book was missing from the shelf. →
Right: Either of the books was missing from the shelf.
Wrong: Either of the option seems fine to me. →
Right: Either of the options seems fine to me.
Wrong: Either of the person knows the password. →
Right: Either of the people knows the password.
Wrong: Either of the child has a fever. →
Right: Either of the children has a fever.
Wrong: Either of the application is compatible with macOS. →
Right: Either of the applications is compatible with macOS.

Work:
Wrong: Either of the laptop are suitable for the demo. →
Right: Either of the laptops is suitable for the demo.
Work:
Wrong: Either of the project lead have authority to approve. →
Right: Either of the project leads has authority to approve.
Work:
Wrong: Either of the proposals were accepted. →
Right: Either of the proposals was accepted.
School:
Wrong: Either of the chapter cover the exam. →
Right: Either of the chapters covers the exam.
School:
Wrong: Either of the lab partner are skilled. →
Right: Either of the lab partners is skilled.
School:
Wrong: Either of the essay were well-written. →
Right: Either of the essays was well-written.
Casual:
Wrong: Either of the pizza is cold. →
Right: Either of the pizzas is cold.
Casual:
Wrong: Either of the movie look good. →
Right: Either of the movies looks good.
Casual:
Wrong: Either of the shirt fit. →
Right: Either of the shirts fits.

Rewrite help: templates and ready rewrites

Use these short templates and swaps to fix sentences quickly or to change tone.

Template (one-of meaning): Either of the + [plural noun] + is + [complement].
Template (explicit single item): One of the + [plural noun] + is + [complement].
Template (both): Both + [plural noun] + are + [complement].

Rewrite:
Original: Either of the team are ready. →
Rewrite: Either of the teams is ready. (If you mean both teams: Both teams are ready.)
Rewrite:
Original: Either of the employee were late. →
Rewrite: Either of the employees was late. (Or: One of the employees was late.)
Rewrite:
Original: Either of the pizza is cold. →
Rewrite: Either of the pizzas is cold. (
Casual: One of the pizzas is cold.)
Work email: Original: Either of the vendor is acceptable. →
Rewrite: Either of the vendors is acceptable.
School assignment: Original: Either of the reference is relevant. →
Rewrite: Either of the references is relevant.
Casual text: Original: Either of the cake is fine. →
Rewrite: Either of the cakes is fine.

Real usage and tone: choosing either of, one of, or both

Either of highlights a choice between members. One of emphasizes a single member. Both confirms multiple items together. Pick the phrasing that matches your intended meaning.

Either of + plural + singular verb = choice (Either of the routes is faster).
One of + plural = single item in focus (One of the routes is closed).
Both + plural = two or more together (Both routes are scenic).

Work: Email: Either of the attachments is fine; attach whichever is smaller.
School: Instructor: Either of the chapters will be tested; study both if you want extra safety.
Casual: Friend: Either of the shirts looks good on you.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context usually reveals whether the noun should be plural and which verb fits.

Memory trick and quick tests

Two quick checks that catch this error every time.

Substitute test: Replace either of with one of. If one of sounds right, the noun must be plural (One of the books → Either of the books).
Visual test: Picture two or more items-groups require plural (either OF the CARS).

Test: One of the cakes is missing → so use: Either of the cakes is missing.
Test: One of the student is late (incorrect) → change to: One of the students is late → Either of the students is late.

Similar mistakes to avoid

Fixing this construction can surface related verb-number errors. Watch these so your sentence is fully correct.

Either vs neither: Either of the options is correct (one). Neither of the options is correct (not one).
Either of us: Either of us can help → usually takes a singular verb because it means one or the other person can help.
Collective nouns: Either of the staff is unusual; clearer: Either staff member is available or One member of the staff is available.

Wrong: Neither of the options are good. →
Right: Neither of the options is good.
Wrong: Either of us are available. →
Right: Either of us is available. (Or: One of us is available / We are both available.)
Wrong: Either of the staff were present. →
Right: Either of the staff was present → clearer: One staff member was present.

Hyphenation, spacing and punctuation

Keep the phrase unhyphenated and treat it as the subject when punctuating.

Do not write either-of-the cars or either-of-the-cars with hyphens.
Capitalize Either at the start of a sentence: Either of the proposals is acceptable.
Avoid unnecessary commas that separate the subject from its verb.

Usage: Correct: Either of the speakers, if available, will give the introduction.
Usage: Incorrect hyphenation: either-of-the-cars → Correct: either of the cars

Fix-it checklist: 4 quick steps

Follow these steps to correct any either of sentence fast.

1) Locate either of in the sentence.
2) Make the noun after of plural (car → cars, option → options, person → people).
3) Choose the verb: singular if you mean one; use both/plural if you mean multiple.
4) Test by substituting one of + plural noun. If that sounds right, you're done.

Quick fix: Original: Either of the candidate are qualified. → Fix: Either of the candidates is qualified.
Quick fix: Original: Either of the pizza are gone. → Fix: Either of the pizzas is gone.

FAQ

Is it ever correct to say "either of the car"?

Not in standard English. Use the plural: either of the cars. You may hear informal speech drop the plural, but always write the plural form.

Which verb do I use after either of the cars?

If you mean one or the other, use a singular verb: Either of the cars is fine. If you mean both, rephrase: Both cars are fine.

Can I test my sentence by switching to one of?

Yes. Replace either of with one of. If "one of the X" sounds correct, use the plural X (one of the books → either of the books).

What about "either of us" - singular or plural verb?

Either of us usually takes a singular verb: Either of us is available (meaning one of the two people). Alternatives: One of us is available or We are both available, depending on meaning.

Quick fix for emails when I'm unsure?

Make the noun plural and use the singular verb if you mean one: Either of the options is fine. If unsure, rewrite as One of the options is fine or Both options are fine.

Try it with one sentence

Copy a sentence here, run the substitution test (replace either of with one of), apply a template, and you'll avoid confusion and improve tone.