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Hans51 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

"Whether or not"

"Whether or not"

I have learned that whether is used with or not and or not can be omitted but I can see whether owners or tenants and whether Mahoney lived or died and then we also can write Whether A or B and I was wondering if A and B are always the opposite like live and die or we can put any words that we compare with each other like Whether you study or play, go to bed by 10 pm. Here study is not the opposite of play, right? Do you have good examples and what do you native English speakers think?

Thank you so much in advance.
  

Top answer

In the "whether A or B" pattern, the words will of course normally be contrasting, but there is no need for them to be opposites. Any words that make sense can be used. "whether comets or asteroids", "whether sheep or goats".

— GPY

  • In the "whether A or B" pattern, the words will of course normally be contrasting, but there is no need for them to be opposites.
  • Any words that make sense can be used.
  • "whether comets or asteroids", "whether sheep or goats".
  • "whether or not A or B" seems unsatisfactory.
  • "whether or not" is usually used with one argument, as in "I don't know whether or not he will come".
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1 Answers
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In the "whether A or B" pattern, the words will of course normally be contrasting, but there is no need for them to be opposites. Any words that make sense can be used. "whether comets or asteroids", "whether sheep or goats".

"whether or not A or B" seems unsatisfactory. "whether or not" is usually used with one argument, as in "I don't know whether or not he will come".
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