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Episode Transcript

If Versus Whether
Episode 109: May 30, 2008

Grammar Girl here. Today's topic is whether--not rain or sunshine, but whether w-h-e-t-h-e-r, as in whether you like it or not, it's the topic.

[Listener question about if versus whether and whether you need an or not after whether]

Well, it's been a while since the listener called in those questions, so I hope people are speaking to each other by now. But they are great questions.

First, let's figure out when to use whether and when to use if.

If Versus Whether

Although in informal writing and speech the two words are often used interchangeably, in formal writing, such as in technical writing at work, it's a good idea to make a distinction between them because the meaning can sometimes be different depending on which word you use. The formal rule is to use if when you have a conditional sentence and whether when you are showing that two alternatives are possible. Some examples will make this more clear.

Here's an example where the two words could be interchangeable:

Squiggly didn't know whether Aardvark would arrive on Friday.

Squiggly didn't know if Aardvark would arrive on Friday.

In either sentence, the meaning is that Aardvark may or may not arrive on Friday.

Now, here are some examples where the words are not interchangeable.

Squiggly didn't know whether Aardvark would arrive on Friday or Saturday.

Because I used whether, you know that there are two possibilities: Aardvark will arrive on Friday or Aardvark will arrive on Saturday.

Now see how the sentence has a different meaning when I use if instead of whether:

Squiggly didn't know if Aardvark would arrive on Friday or Saturday.

Now in addition to arriving on Friday or Saturday, there is the possibility that Aardvark may not arrive at all. These last two sentences show why it is best to use whether when you have two possibilities, and that is why I recommend using whether instead of if when you have two possibilities, even when the meaning wouldn't change if you use if. It's safer and more consistent.

Here's a final pair of examples:

Call Squiggly if you are going to arrive on Friday.

Call Squiggly whether or not you are going to arrive on Friday.

The first sentence is conditional. Call Squiggly if you are going to arrive on Friday means Aardvark is only expected to call if he is coming.

The second sentence is not conditional. Call Squiggly whether or not you are going to arrive on Friday means Aardvark is expected to call either way.

So to sum up, use whether when you have two discrete choices or mean "regardless of whether," and use if for conditional sentences.

Whether Versus Whether or Not

That last example is also a good lead in to the second part of the caller's question: when do you need an or not after whether? Why did I say, "Call Squiggly whether or not you are going to arrive on Friday"?

Often, the or not is just extra fluff and should be left off. In my first example, where I said, "Squiggly didn't know whether Aardvark would arrive on Friday," adding an or not wouldn't change the meaning or emphasis. Squiggly didn't know whether or not Aardvark would arrive on Friday means the same thing as Squiggly didn't know whether Aardvark would arrive on Friday. Or not is superfluous, so leave it out.

On the other hand, you need the full phrase whether or not when you mean "regardless of whether." It shows that there is equal emphasis on both options.

Call Squiggly regardless of whether you are going to arrive on Friday.

Call Squiggly whether or not you are going to arrive on Friday.

Finally, a listener wrote to say that her boss was driving her crazy by saying "rather or not" instead of "whether or not." So I'll add that "rather or not" is incorrect; whether is a conjunction and rather is an adverb, and they are not interchangeable. "Whether or not" is the correct way to show that there are two possibilities or you mean "regardless of whether."

Questions and comments for me go to feedback@quickanddirtytips.com or the voicemail line at 206-338-GIRL. You can also read the full transcript of this podcast at quickanddirtytips.com, where you can leave comments and check out the other great podcasts. We've launched a new show I expect you'll all like called the Make-It-Green Girl, so check it out.

References

Bernstein, T.M. Do's Don'ts and Maybes of English Usage, Times Books: New York. 1977, p.237.

Garner, B. Garner's Modern American Usage, Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2003, p. 422.

if. American Heritage College Dictionary. Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company:Boston. 2007, p. 689.

rather. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rather (accessed: May 23, 2008).

Kilian, C. "Rather? Whether?" Ask the English Teacher. May 26, 2006. http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/english/2006/05/rather_whether.html (accessed: May 23, 2008).

whether. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/whether (accessed: May 23, 2008).

Comments (16) for If Versus Whether | Subscribe to Comment

rpmason Says:
6/17/2008 3:33:14 PM

GG's pretty darn busy, I'm sure. Carolyn, you could say "I don’t know if [or whether] he'll go to the store." The 'or not' is used when that condition is just as important as the other condition. You need to call Squiggly in either case, so 'or not' is necessary. Please review the section where GG discusses "Call Squiggly whether or not…"

Carolyn Bahm Says:
6/12/2008 4:13:05 AM

I thought we weren't supposed to use "or not," but maybe I'm just recalling a teacher's style preference rather than a real grammar rule. I typically style it like this: "I don't know whether he will or will not go to the store." Can you clarify? Thanks, Mignon!

rpmason Says:
6/11/2008 5:07:06 PM

Carla, yes, you do have to be careful of the placement of 'only'. But I don't agree with your teacher. A parallel, but less poetic, construction might help. "I only have dessert for you" and "I have dessert for only you" both mean that I didn't bring dessert for anyone else. The difference is whether I'm emphasizing me or you. Contrast "Only I have dessert for you" and you'll find that sentence fits your teacher's warning.

Carla Says:
6/6/2008 2:41:21 AM

A bit off subject, but I'd appreciate your comments on the placement of 'only' - as in "Call Squiggly if you are going to arrive on Friday means Aardvark is only expected to call if he is coming." My high school Latin teacher drummed it into our heads that we must be careful about where in a sentence we place 'only' as it can end up modifying the wrong word. His favourite example was the song lyric, "I only have eyes for you," which he said was actually quite insulting because it says, "I am the only one who finds you attractive." Although the lyric wouldn't sound quite right to us, he said it should be written, "I have eyes for only you." Likewise, the sentence above should read, "Call Squiggly if you are going to arrive on Friday means Aardvark is expected to call only if he is coming."

Mildred Says:
6/4/2008 1:18:41 PM

Hi Grammar Girl! Thanks for the column. Every time I use "whether" in my writing (technical scientific writing), my boss always puts "or not" or changes it to "if". I'm happy to finally have these references to support my writing style.

John Says:
6/4/2008 12:12:23 PM

There's nothing wrong with usage advice, but I like my usage advice to be well-motivated and informed. Garner's advice isn't always motivated or informed - he often gives no reason for his advice. Something is right or wrong simply because he says so.

Don Says:
6/4/2008 11:15:37 AM

Hey, Grammar Girl! Actually, I was pointing-out that the same rule ("Use 'whether' when an alternative is given.") also holds when multiple choices are offerend. My understanding is that 'whether' indicates that the speaker is offering two or more possibilities for his statement to be true. 'If' simply states that the condition outlined in the sentance may or may not be true... Thus, if I should arrive on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday (but will be arriving) and you don't know which, the sentance should be "Grammar Girld didn't know whether Don would arrive Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday." As that indicates that Grammar Girl knows I will arrive but not when, the same sentance using 'if' rather than 'whethter' would mean that my arrival on those days was uncertain. Perhaps Grammar Girl expects me to be partying too late on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday to know if I will arrive at all those days, but she assumes that by Thursday I will get my act together. My question was whether it was correct or incorrect to use 'whether' for multiple choice conditions where more than two alternatives are offered or if there is some other word that indcates a choice of the three (rather than an uncertainty of any or all) stated conditions. Love the podcast! Looking forward to the book!

Grammar Girl Says:
6/3/2008 8:12:00 PM

Hi, Don. If I understand you correctly, you are asking about writing a sentence like this: I didn't know whether/if I should bring apples, oranges, or pineapple. As you may have gathered from the debate here in the comments, in most cases it is probably fine to use either word. If I were choosing, I could use "whether" because to me it more clearly indicates that there are three alternatives. But I can't say that "if" is a wrong choice.

Grammar Girl Says:
6/3/2008 8:05:35 PM

Hi, rpmason. I find your comment about computer language interesting! I took enough programming in college that I had to retrain myself to leave the "then" out of my conditional sentences (since it is usually unnecessary). I see what you're saying about the missing "else," but I still believe "if Aardvark would arrive on Friday or Saturday" leaves open the possibility that Aardvark may not arrive at all (at least to a greater degree than the same sentence using "whether").

Grammar Girl Says:
6/3/2008 7:59:43 PM

Hi, John. It's interesting that "Merriam-Webster's" disagrees. I often check what they say, but I wrote this episode on the road (in a library) and didn't have access to that particular book. I'm a big fan of "Garner's Modern American Usage," and that is one of the books I did use to write this show. Garner says, "It is good editorial practice to distinguish between these words. Use 'if' for a conditional idea, 'whether' for an alternative possibility." It seems that like so many areas of language, the experts disagree. As you've probably noticed, I aim to give people simple rules they can remember, and that is why I recommended using "whether" when an alternative is specified even if it wouldn't change the meaning. I think that is easier and safer because the writer doesn't have to evaluate the meaning and make a decision about whether the meaning would change. They don't have to go through an if-whether debate every time they write a sentence like that. I certainly acknowledge that there are arguments on the other side (as there so often are). But I get feedback that people get frustrated when I tell them "You can do it this way, or you can do it that way. The experts disagree." Most people seem to want me to evaluate the arguments and pick a side, so I do. That doesn't mean it is the only right answer. So thank you for continuing to represent the alternative view here on the site.

Don Says:
6/3/2008 10:17:27 AM

Should whether not be used in chases where two "OR MORE" choices are present? I'm not sure whether to use "if," "whether," or some other word in the sentance that I am writing... so what should I do? djb

rpmason Says:
6/2/2008 9:52:31 AM

A follow up to my comment on 5/30: if 'if' could include an unstated option, the influence of the computer industry's IF-THEN-ELSE statements may have eroded it. My audience (geeks) would infer "IF Aardvark doesn't arrive on Friday, THEN he will arrive on Saturday". As no ELSE was stated, not arriving simply isn't an option.

aardvark Says:
6/1/2008 12:00:27 PM

One thing is for sure: if aardvark says he is coming, he will be there on time. Whether he comes Friday or Saturday is not the issue.

marcus Says:
6/1/2008 6:26:33 AM

"The formal rule is to use if when you have a conditional sentence and whether when you are showing that two alternatives are possible." That is not true. The problem is that the English word 'if' represents not just one but two different conjunctions. Other languages, e.g. German, have different words for the two conjunctions. In German it's 'falls' and 'ob'. As a conditional conjunction ('falls') only 'if' is possible. So let's focus on the non-conditional conjunction ('ob'). In that case 'whether' and 'if' are interchangeable regardless of whether there are two possibilities or not. Depending on your intonation, both sentences ("Squiggly didn't know whether Aardvark would arrive on Friday or Saturday." | "Squiggly didn't know if Aardvark would arrive on Friday or Saturday.") can have either meaning. In written English, the context will make up for the missing intonation. You are right in saying that the 'whether' in 'whether or not' cannot be replaced by 'if' whenever it means 'regardless of'. In all cases where it is redundant, however, you can replace 'whether or not' with 'if ... or not' (and, of course, 'whether [...] or not'): "I don't know whether or not he likes you." -> "I don't know if he likes you or not." Neither is particularly good English, of course. What you forgot to say is that you can't have 'if' after a preposition. You have to use 'whether'. "We were wondering if/whether he likes you." but: "We were talking about whether he likes you." So all you need to know is 1) your conditional sentences from the rest (always 'if' there) 2) that 'whether or not' meaning 'regardless of' is a conjunction in its own right 3) that after a preposition it's always 'whether'.

John Says:
6/1/2008 1:20:46 AM

I don't understand why GG recommends using "whether" instead of "if" when you have two possibilities, even when the meaning wouldn't change if you use "if". How is this safer and more consistent? Safer and more consistent than what? If the meaning is the same either way... btw, Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage says that this rule (that "whether" should be used when an alternative is specified) has no basis.

rpmason Says:
5/30/2008 5:39:17 PM

I'm not convinced that "...if Aardvark would arrive on Friday or Saturday" could be construed to mean that he might not arrive. I'd write that thought as "...if Aardvark would arrive on Friday, Saturday, or even at all."