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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
IF or Whether or not
Hello,
I have a question about some text that I've written, and after sending it to our oversees branch, it returned changed (by some native english speakers).
Every single phrase that looked like this:
This test checks if a function returns correct values.
was changed in this way:
This test checks whether or not a function returns correct values.
Can someone tell me, what is it all about? Is there some real difference between these two language constructions?
Best regards,
M. Jovanovic
I have a question about some text that I've written, and after sending it to our oversees branch, it returned changed (by some native english speakers).
Every single phrase that looked like this:
This test checks if a function returns correct values.
was changed in this way:
This test checks whether or not a function returns correct values.
Can someone tell me, what is it all about? Is there some real difference between these two language constructions?
Best regards,
M. Jovanovic
Top answer
J. wrote on 13 Jul 2004: [nq:1]Hello, I have a question about some text that I've written, and after sending it to our oversees[/nq] Probably just a typo, but "overseas" [nq:1]branch, it returned changed (by some native english speakers). Every single phrase that looked like this: This test checks if ...
- J.
- wrote on 13 Jul 2004: [nq:1]Hello, I have a question about some text that I've written, and after sending it to our oversees[/nq] Probably just a typo, but "overseas" [nq:1]branch, it returned changed (by some native english speakers).
- Every single phrase that looked like this: This test checks if ...
- values.
- Can someone tell me, what is it all about?
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89 Answers
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M.J. wrote on 13 Jul 2004:
[nq:1]Hello, I have a question about some text that I've written, and after sending it to our oversees[/nq]
Probably just a typo, but "overseas"
[nq:1]branch, it returned changed (by some native english speakers). Every single phrase that looked like this: This test checks if ... values. Can someone tell me, what is it all about? Is there some real difference
[nq:1]Hello, I have a question about some text that I've written, and after sending it to our oversees[/nq]
Probably just a typo, but "overseas"
[nq:1]branch, it returned changed (by some native english speakers). Every single phrase that looked like this: This test checks if ... values. Can someone tell me, what is it all about? Is there some real difference
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[nq:1]Hello, I have a question about some text that I've written, and after sending itto our oversees branch, it returned ... correct values. Can someone tell me, what is it all about? Is there some real differencebetween these two language constructions?[/nq]
I would have changed "if" to "whether" here too. I can't offhand state a rule as to why "whether" seems more natural in indirect questi
I would have changed "if" to "whether" here too. I can't offhand state a rule as to why "whether" seems more natural in indirect questi
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[nq:1]Hello, I have a question about some text that I've written, and after sending it to our oversees branch, it ... values. Can someone tell me, what is it all about? Is there some real difference between these two language constructions?[/nq]
You bet there is, M.J. "This test checks if" is ambiguous. They were right. Thank them, and get it right
next time.
Michael West
Melb
You bet there is, M.J. "This test checks if" is ambiguous. They were right. Thank them, and get it right
next time.
Michael West
Melb
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Alan Crozier wrote on 13 Jul 2004:
I can't agree with this analysis. Why would anyone reading such instructions want to reinterpret the sentence so that what is obviously not a precondition becomes an initial conditional clause? I agree that "if" should be changed to "whether".
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.
For email, replace numbers with English alphabet.
I can't agree with this analysis. Why would anyone reading such instructions want to reinterpret the sentence so that what is obviously not a precondition becomes an initial conditional clause? I agree that "if" should be changed to "whether".
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.
For email, replace numbers with English alphabet.
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[nq:1]Alan Crozier wrote on 13 Jul 2004:[/nq]
[nq:1]I can't agree with this analysis. Why would anyone reading such instructions want to reinterpret the sentence so that what is obviously not a precondition becomes an initial conditional clause? I agree that "if" should be changed to "whether".[/nq]
I agree that it's unlikely with this particular sentence, but you could easily think of sen
[nq:1]I can't agree with this analysis. Why would anyone reading such instructions want to reinterpret the sentence so that what is obviously not a precondition becomes an initial conditional clause? I agree that "if" should be changed to "whether".[/nq]
I agree that it's unlikely with this particular sentence, but you could easily think of sen
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Michael West wrote on 13 Jul 2004:
[nq:2]I have a question about some text that I've written, ... Is there some real difference between these two language constructions?[/nq]
[nq:1]You bet there is, M.J. "This test checks if" is ambiguous. They were right. Thank them, and get it right next time.[/nq]
I don't see the ambiguity here, Michael. They were only half right, anyway. "Whether"
[nq:2]I have a question about some text that I've written, ... Is there some real difference between these two language constructions?[/nq]
[nq:1]You bet there is, M.J. "This test checks if" is ambiguous. They were right. Thank them, and get it right next time.[/nq]
I don't see the ambiguity here, Michael. They were only half right, anyway. "Whether"
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Alan Crozier wrote on 13 Jul 2004:
[nq:2]Alan Crozier wrote on 13 Jul 2004: I can't agree ... clause? I agree that "if" should be changed to "whether".[/nq]
[nq:1]I agree that it's unlikely with this particular sentence, but you could easily think of sentences where the "if" is gneuinely ambiguous.[/nq]
Yes, it seems to me that this use of "if" falls into the same category as using "as
[nq:2]Alan Crozier wrote on 13 Jul 2004: I can't agree ... clause? I agree that "if" should be changed to "whether".[/nq]
[nq:1]I agree that it's unlikely with this particular sentence, but you could easily think of sentences where the "if" is gneuinely ambiguous.[/nq]
Yes, it seems to me that this use of "if" falls into the same category as using "as
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Now it is all much clearer to me. Thanks everyone for your replies. :-)
Yours sincerely,
M. Jovanovic
Yours sincerely,
M. Jovanovic
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[nq:1]Hello, I have a question about some text that I've written, and after sending it to our oversees branch, it ... me, what is it all about? Is there some real difference between these two language constructions? Best regards, M. Jovanovic[/nq]
"if" is more appropriately used in an if/then construct.
"If the function returns an incorrect value, then an error counter is incremented.
"if" is more appropriately used in an if/then construct.
"If the function returns an incorrect value, then an error counter is incremented.
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[nq:1]Michael West wrote on 13 Jul 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]You bet there is, M.J. "This test checks if" is ambiguous. They were right. Thank them, and get it right next time.[/nq]
[nq:1]I don't see the ambiguity here, Michael. They were only half right, anyway. "Whether" is sufficient" and "whether or not" is verbose.[/nq]
Verbose? I'd use either "whether" or "whether or not" and not worry ab
[nq:2]You bet there is, M.J. "This test checks if" is ambiguous. They were right. Thank them, and get it right next time.[/nq]
[nq:1]I don't see the ambiguity here, Michael. They were only half right, anyway. "Whether" is sufficient" and "whether or not" is verbose.[/nq]
Verbose? I'd use either "whether" or "whether or not" and not worry ab
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