{"id":119,"date":"2014-04-14T11:52:18","date_gmt":"2014-04-14T01:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/?p=119"},"modified":"2017-03-04T13:32:57","modified_gmt":"2017-03-04T02:32:57","slug":"the-difference-between-if-and-whether","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/journal\/notes\/the-difference-between-if-and-whether\/","title":{"rendered":"The difference between if and whether"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n TLDR:<\/strong> It’s a bit tricky. Best to read it all.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While some may assume that whether<\/em> is merely the more formal word to use when if<\/em> is acceptable, there are instances where the two words are not interchangeable.<\/p>\n

if (conjunction)\u2014used to introduce a conditional sentence or clause; \u2018despite the possibility that\u2019<\/p>\n

\n \u2018If it snows tonight, I will make a snowman after breakfast tomorrow morning!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m going to that party, even if I have to walk there in the rain!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

He wondered if his little accident had gone unnoticed.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Oh, if I must…\u2019<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

whether (conjunction)\u2014used to express uncertainty with a choice; to express a question; also to indicate one of a number of alternatives expressed must be the case<\/p>\n

\n \u2018I don\u2019t know whether I should play today, due to my injury.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Could you let me know whether I need to prepare dinner tonight for Tom?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

I decided that I was going to stay home, whether my parents approved or not!<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now, some of these sentences would allow if<\/em> to replace whether<\/em> and vice versa. For example:<\/p>\n

\n \u2018I don\u2019t know if I should play today, due to my injury.\u2019<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In this case, the use of whether<\/em> is merely a more formal choice of wording. However, sometimes, when if<\/em> replaces whether<\/em>, the meaning of the sentence changes slightly. For instance:<\/p>\n

\n \u2018Could you let me know if I need to prepare dinner tonight for Tom?\u2019<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This sentence is grammatically correct, however the sentence is now worded to mean that the only answer the asker needs to know is if she DOES need to prepare dinner for Tom. So in this instance, whether<\/em> is the better word to use, since the asker wants to hear one of two possible answers.<\/p>\n

Quite often, whether<\/em> will be accompanied by or not<\/em>, though in many instances, the or not<\/em> is obsolete. For example:<\/p>\n

\n \u2018I don\u2019t know whether I should play today (or not), due to my injury.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Could you let me know whether (or not) I need to prepare dinner tonight for Tom?\u2019<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Note also that the correct position of the or not<\/em> is not strict. As long as it is grammatically correct, it can follow whether<\/em> or end your sentence or clause.<\/p>\n

But when is the or not<\/em> compulsory in a sentence? Well, in the instances where whether<\/em> can be replaced with regardless of whether<\/em>, then the or not<\/em> is necessary in the sentence. For example:<\/p>\n

\n I decided that I was going to stay home, whether my parents approved or not!<\/em><\/p>\n

I decided that I was going to stay home, regardless of whether my parents approved!<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It is a bit tricky, I know, but nothing a good bit of practising can’t fix! Good luck.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes interchangeable, sometimes not!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":521,"href":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions\/521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/carmelsealey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}