TENSE TUESDAY: WHETHER vs. IF (PART 1)

Hello everyone! For Tense Tuesday we are looking at something that confuses many students; when to use WHETHER and when to use IF. We originally looked at the difference between these two adverbs back in October of 2008.

Here is a brief explanation of the difference between if and whether, based on the Oxford Dictionary of Usage and Style.

Use if for a conditional idea and whether for an alternative or possibility.

Example 1: Let me know if you'll be coming to the party.

This means that I want to hear from you only if you're coming to the party (the necessary condition).

Example 2: Let me know whether you'll be coming to the party (or not).

This means that I want to hear from you about your plans, whether you decide to come or not.

Today and next week we give more details about the use of these words. We will start with the cases where if and whether are often interchangeable.

WHETHER or IF
Following are cases where you can use whether or if.

1. Whether and if can both introduce indirect questions.

--> She's not sure whether / if she'll vote for the Socialists or the Popular Party.

2. Whether and if can both be used to answer yes and no questions.

-->Can you help me, please?
-->I don't know if / whether I can help you. I'll let you know.

In cases where both whether and if can be used, whether is generally considered more formal, and in some cases more correct.

--> We discussed if we should open tomorrow. (correct, but informal)
--> We discussed whether we should open tomorrow. (more formal)

Next Tuesday we will look at cases where only whether can be used.

That's all for today. I don't know IF/WHETHER you have questions: let us know on Facebook if you do.

https://www.facebook.com/ZigguratEscuelaCorporativadeIdiomas

Have a great day!