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Reader question: Please explain this headline, "or else" in particular: The world needs to work together, or else. My comments: Obviously, this headline calls for global cooperation in light of the coronavirus. The world, now more than ever, needs to put aside differences and to aim at conquering the coronavirus, a common enemy. The world needs to do this, or else. The question is, or else what? What happens then is left unsaid. When we warn people of something, we usually specify the consequences. The teacher may, for example, warn the class to finish homework on time, or else they will be punished - by a reduced score in the exam, for example. However, the teacher may just say, "hand in your homework on time, or else" and the students will perfectly understand him or her. That is, all students understand that there'll be consequences, and the consequences will be bad, all bad. In other words, there's no good alternative. And this is where "or else" is allowed to stand on its own. It appears to make the sentence look incomplete, but the idea to convey is complete. In our example, if the world doesn't cooperate but instead go on pointing fingers at one another, playing the race card and the like, why, a major catastrophe looms. This is what's being implied and what people automatically infer. People will die, people will die by the thousands. Economic growth will be slain and people will lose jobs. People will lose jobs by the millions. Law and order will be threatened. Riots may ensue. | 
