or and comma

Hi,
Whether you are dead or whether you are alive doesn't matter.

Whether you are dead, whether you are alive doesn't matter.

Can the comma replace "or"?
No. But you could say, Whether you are dead, whether you are alive, it doesn't matter.

This sounds rather rhetorical in style.

Best wishes, Clive

Why is that?

Can we say:

Whether Jim, whether Mark dies is unimportant?

Thank you.

Hi,
Why is that?You normally need a conjunction to join two things. eg Tom or Fred is a lawyer. But not Tom, Fred is a lawyer.

Can we say:

Whether Jim, whether Mark dies is unimportant? No. See above comment.

Best wishes, Clive

Therefore:

"Whether Jim or whether Mark dies is unimportant" is correct?

But can a comma replace "and"? Are you sure? I think I have seen some ancient author omit "or" in constructions with the word whether.

She stood up, she brushed herself off, the audience applauded.

http://wardsix.blogspot.com/2007/07/defense-of-comma-splice.html

Hi,
Therefore:

"Whether Jim or whether Mark dies is unimportant" is correct?

Yes.
You could omit the second 'whether'.

Clive

Hi,
But can a comma replace "and"? Are you sure? Not in normal English. I though we were discussing 'or' and not 'and'.

I think I have seen some ancient author omit "or" in constructions with the word whether.

Perhaps in some very literary style that I wouldn't suggest you copy.

Best wishes, Clive

Hi,
She stood up, she brushed herself off, the audience applauded.

The author in your link was trying to defend the 'comma splice'. In my experience, teachers are constantly struggling to stop their students using comma splices. Try using them on your college admission letter, and see what happens.

The other s

Ok, thank you.

I think a comma can replace and by default but not any other conjunction.