Source for above: Dr. V. AbdurRahim’s Madina Book 2 – English Key –  Lesson 01

Usage of أَمْ  and أَوْ (Seq # 69)

The meaning of the words أَمْ  and أَوْ is same and it is “or”. The word أَمْ is used in the interrogative sentences while the word أَوْ is used in the non-interrogative sentences.

Examples

أَ مُحَمّدٌ أَنْــتَ أَمْ حَامِدٌ ؟ (Are you mohammed or haamid ?)

أَ فِي الْكَــهْــفِ أَنْتَ أَمْ فِي السَّــفِيْنَةِ ؟ (Are you in the cave or in the ship ?)

خَــرَجَ مُــحَــمَّــدٌ أَوْ حَــامِدٌ (Mohammed or Hamid went out).

One note is that أَ should precede the first thing in comparison and أَمْ should precede the second thing in comparison. So it is wrong to say أَ أَنْــتَ فِي الْكَهْفِ أَمْ فِي السَّفِيْنَةِ ؟ To understand clearly, it is wrong to write أَنْــتَ immediately after أَ. أَنْــتَ should come after الْــكَــهْــفِ.

Exercises

• State TRUE or FALSE: Read the verse Quran (18:20). The word أَوْ is present in this verse.
• State TRUE or FALSE: Read the verse Quran (18:41). The word أَوْ is present in this verse.
• State TRUE or FALSE: The correct translation of the English statement “Is dog present in the ship or on the wall ?” is أَ فِــي السَّــفِيــْنَــةِ كَــلْــبٌ أَمْ عَــلى الْــجِدارِ ؟

Answers to Exercises

Usage of أَمْ  and أَوْ (Seq # 69)

T, T, T

Source for the above : From the notes : Trying to understand the Arabic Language… By Mohammed Aijaz