If or whether?

Every so often, it can be confusing to choose between these two conjunctions when writing or speaking, so we often wonder about how to use the conjunctions if and whether. To those who want to understand these fully, I’ve described a few uses of these two words. But first, what is a conjunction?

Conjunction are linking words. Briefly, they connect words, phrases and clauses, and are mainly divided into two categories: Subordinators and Coordinators.

Subordinators, also known as subordinating conjunctions, are linking words that introduce clauses known as dependent clauses — clauses which cannot stand alone without another clause, called the main clause.

You can hold her [if you want].

In this example, “You can hold her” is the main clause, while “if you want” is the dependent clause. So, the conjunction if is connecting the dependent clause to the main clause.

Coordinators, also known as coordinating conjunctions, are used to indicate a relationship between two units such as phrases or clauses that have the same syntactic role, and are at the same level of the syntactic hierarchy.

[Mother] and [I] saw it.

[I don’t want to speak too soon], but [I think I have been fairly consistent this season].

In these examples, there’s a connection of two phrases (example 1) and two clauses (example 2). In the example 2, the independence of each clause is apparent, we can see that they have a meaning by themselves.

• List of conjunctions
  • Coordinating conjunctions
    • for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so, both/and, either/or, neither/nor, not only/but, whether/or
  • Subordinating conjunctions
    • after, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as, as though, because, before, by the time, even if, even though, if, in order that, in case, in the event that, lest , now that, once, only, only if, provided that, since, so, supposing, that, than, though, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether or not, while

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The conjunction if

We frequently use if to introduce possible or impossible situations or conditions and their results. The situations or conditions can be real, imagined or uncertain. You can find more information about the word if here.

The conjunction whether

We use whether in indirect yes-no questions and questions with or. You can find more information about the word whether here.

Uses of if and whether

Both if and whether can be used with indirect questions. Let’s see how this works.

📝 Direct speech: Do you need a ride?

📝 Indirect speech: I asked if she needed a ride.

However, according to the Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English, if is more common and whether is more formal.

Call the bakeries around town and find out if any of them sell raspberry pies.

The teachers will be asked whether they would recommend the book to their classes.

He wondered whether the mestizo had stolen his mule.

One of the most common problems encountered is simply deciding if two components in a machine clash.

In the examples above, it would be possible to use both if and whether interchangeably.

Notice that this if is different from the if as a subordinator in adverbial conditional clauses, such as:

I would’ve died if I was in there.

This sentence could have its order changed, while the interrogative if cannot be moved.

If I was in there, I would’ve died.

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To express an alternative, we can use or not with if and whether. With whether we can use or not immediately after whether or in end position. With if we use or not in end position only:

I called Bill to find out whether or not he really did go to Afghanistan.

I called Bill to find out whether he really did go to Afghanistan or not.

I called Bill to find out if he really did go to Afghanistan or not.

It is more common to use whether with or when there is more than one alternative in the indirect question:

After the election, we asked whether the parties should change their leaders, their policies, or both.

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We use if or whether to introduce clauses after verbs of doubting:

I don’t know if I can drive. My foot really hurts.

We’ll have plenty of photographs to show you but I’m not sure whether we’ll be able to learn very much from them.

Whether/If clauses are frequently used with a negative in the main clause. The verbs care, matter, mind, and know are especially common in the negative.

I don’t care if you’re serious or not.

Doesn’t matter whether it’s a boy or a girl.

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We use whether and not if before a to-infinitive, often when we’re referring to future plans or decisions:

I was wondering whether to go for a swim.

We use whether and not if after prepositions:

Later I argued with the doctor about whether I had hit my head, since I couldn’t remember feeling it.

Major points

 

Summing up all we’ve seen, we have:

• If and whether are conjunctions;
• If and whether can be used to report indirect questions, if is more common and whether is more formal;
• We can use both if and whether to express an alternative using either or and or not. With whether, the or not can be positioned right after the conjunction or in end position. With if, the or not can only be placed at end position;
• We use whether before a to-infinitive and after prepositions.

 

For those who want to dive even further on how to use the conjunctions if and whether, I recommend the grammar book of Douglas Biber, Susan Conrad and Geoffrey Leech, called Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Besides that, you might be interested in visiting the Cambridge Dictionary for more information about this.

 

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