0
Teo Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

whether/if, prescriptive or descriptive rules?

0I do not know ___ I should buy that car or not.02br
02br
00Because 01i00whether 02i00implies that there are two alternatives, the answer is 01i00whether02i00, not01i00 if. 02i02br
02br
00I don't know __ she is coming.02br
02br
00Because01i00 if02i00 is used to indicate uncertainty, the answer is01i00 if, 02i00not 01i00whether02i00.02br
02br
01font01b00Do you agree?02b02font0-
  

Top answer

0 Hi Teo,02br 00as far as I know, "whether" and "if" are used in the same way. 02br 00Let's wait for native speakers now 050010id1

— Kooyeen

  • 0 Hi Teo,02br 00as far as I know, "whether" and "if" are used in the same way.
  • 02br 00Let's wait for native speakers now 050010id1
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

4 Answers
0
0 Hi Teo,02br
00as far as I know, "whether" and "if" are used in the same way. I tend to use "if" more, "wheather" sounds more formal to me.02br
00Let's wait for native speakers now 050010id1
0
0
0 See these many already-existing threads:02br
02br
0500260hrefhttp://www.EnglishForward.com/search/whether if.htm
0
0
0Teo, your statement could be rephrased as "I don't know whether 01i00or not 02i00she is coming." There is no "If... then..." aspect to it. 02br
02br
00So sticklers would tell you that you should use "whether."02br
02br
00However, in practice, just about everyone I hear speak uses "if" for "whether" and if you used it there, no one w
0
0
0 Do you agree?02br
02br
00 No. Either 01i00if02i00 or 01i00whether02i00 can be used in either of those two sentences.02br
02br
00 Almost anywhere 01i00whether02i00 can be used, 01i00if02i00 can be used instead, but 01i00whether02i00 is alm
0

Related Questions