Difference between revisions of "Language/English/Grammar/When-use-If-or-Whether"
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(In this example, the yes/no question is "Am I attending the event?") | (In this example, the yes/no question is "Am I attending the event?") | ||
===or=== | |||
*I would like to know whether it is a true story or fabricated. | *I would like to know whether it is a true story or fabricated. | ||
*I would like to know if it is a true story or fabricated. | *I would like to know if it is a true story or fabricated. | ||
Revision as of 17:19, 29 June 2017
When to use "whether" or "if" in English?
Use "if" or "whether" (Interchangeable):
Whether and if can be used interchangeably in the following circumstances:
When reporting yes/no questions.
- I am not sure whether I will be attending the event.
- I am not sure if I will be attending the event.
(In this example, the yes/no question is "Am I attending the event?")
or
- I would like to know whether it is a true story or fabricated.
- I would like to know if it is a true story or fabricated.
Note: Using whether is far more common. It is certainly more formal.
Use only "if" with:
the conditional tense
A sentence that can only be realized under certain conditions.
- Bob didn’t know if Amanda was going away.
Use only "whether" when
Verb with "to"
- Bob didn’t know whether to invite Amanda to the party.