2022-11-13
2020-10-14
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน - Set – I –If whether
แนะนำการใช้ ตามที่ส่วนใหญ่ใช้ แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจผันแปร ตาม ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
แสดงรายละเอียด จากตำราแต่ละเล่ม ที่เป็นหัวข้อ ต่อไปนี้:
Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง If = ‘IF’
ออกเสียง Whether = ‘HWETH-ter’ or ‘WETH-er’
Common Error in English Usage Dictionary:
If whether
“If” is used frequently in casual speech and writing
where some others would prefer “whether”:
“I wonder if you would be willing to dress up as a giant turnip for the parade?”
Revise to “I wonder whether. . . .”
“If" can’t really be called an error,
but when you are discussing two alternative possibilities, “whether” sounds more polished.
(The two possibilities in this example are:
1) you would be willing or
2) you wouldn’t. In sentences using
“whether” “or not” is often understood.)
Don’t substitute the very different word “whither,”
which means “where.”
Dictionary of Problem Words and Expression
If & whether
In formal use, if introduces one condition only;
whether introduced, alternate conditions, usually with or not expressed or implied:
“If we try hard, we can do the work.”
“We are wondering whether we could do the work.”
In less precise use, both if and whetherare used to introduce clauses of various kinds, but if is not used when it causes doubt about meaning;
for example, the sentence “The physician asked to be telephoned if the patient was in a coma” could mean at what timeor whether the patient was in a coma.
Also, prefer whether
in a sentence such as “If I was going to the bill was the question raised by the letter.”
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Usage Notes
'If' vs. 'Whether': Similar But Different
Two words of uncertainty
What to Know
If and whether are often interchangeable,
but have distinct uses.
For clarity,
it is best to use whether in reference to a choice or alternatives
("we're going whether it rains or not")
and if when establishing a condition
("we will go if it doesn't rain").
In English grammar,
a conjunction is a word that joins together
sentences, clauses, phrases, or words.
If and whether are referred to as subordinating conjunctions,
which means that they are elements
that form sentences into word groups
called, well, subordinate clauses.
As such,
they have similar function,
which sometimes causes hesitation on which to use.
Grammarians have ruled that
if and whether have distinct uses; however,
they are interchangeable in their shared senses
referring to the uncertainty of future happenings.
That ruling is consistent with the lawlessness of English,
which leads to confusion (and which we will clarify).
If starts a subordinate clause of a conditional sentence
—a sentence that states a relation between cause and effect,
makes a prediction, or speculates about what might happen.
The bare bones:
a subordinate clause is a clause that does not form a sentence by itself
and is connected to a main clause,
which is a complete sentence.
The if clause states what must occur before something else,
which is stated in the main clause.
It can be at the beginning or end of a conditional sentence.
The main clause of a conditional sentence
may begin with the adverb then.
This often occurs in science contexts
especially in statements of logic or proofs
where then is used to emphasize a relation
between cause and effect:
"If you eat the whole pint of ice cream, then you will be satisfied";
"If line segment p, q and r are equal, then the triangle is an equilateral."
Then, in general cases, is not a necessary coupling with if.
Whether is a conjunction
that usually starts a subordinate clause
that expresses an indirect question
involving two stated or implied possibilities or alternatives.
And this is where the confusion starts:
if can also be used in this sense.
As to why this interchange is the case,
we don't have an answer.
If we did, we would gladly share with you.
There is a grammatical hint
that calls for whether instead of if.
Whether is the one that precedes an infinitive,
which is the verb form in the collocation "to + simple verb,"
as in "I am wondering whether to change our reservations."
Whether, in this case, refers to the making of a choice,
whereas if states a condition,
as in "If the contestant spells the word wrong, he or she will be eliminated."
Readers might be familiar
with the phrase whether or not,
meaning "in any case,"
"without regard to or in spite of other considerations," or
"whatever else is done or is the case"
—for example
"we are going whether or not you decide to come along."
The "or not" of the phrase does not need
to immediately follow "whether," but it often does:
hence, "The parade will go on whether it rains or not."
There are no ifs, ands, and buts,
if and whether are used interchangeably
as function words to indicate an indirect question
involving stated or implied alternatives and have their own uses.
But (so there is a but), for clarity,
it is best to use whether rather than if
when referring to choice or alternatives
and reserve if as the word to introduce a condition.
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
GRAMMAR POINT
if / whether
Both if and whether are used in reporting questions
which expect 'yes' or 'no' as the answer:
She asked if /whether I wanted a drink.,
although whether sounds more natural with particular verbs
such as discuss, consider and decide.
When a choice is offered between alternatives
if or whether can be used:
He didn't know if /whether we should write or phone.
Dictionary.com
SYNONYM STUDY FOR IF
If & Provided
Providing imply a condition on which something depends.
If is general.
It may be used to indicate suppositions
or hypothetical conditions
(often involving doubt or uncertainty):
If you like, we can go straight home.
If I had known, I wouldn't have gone.
If may mean even though:
If I am wrong, you are not right.
It may mean whenever:
If I do not understand, I ask questions.
Provided always indicates some stipulation:
I will subscribe ten dollars provided (on the condition) that you do, too.
Provided he goes, we can go along.
Providing means the same as provided,
that is, just in case some certain thing should happen:
We will buy the house, providing (provided) we can get a mortgage.
USAGE NOTE FOR IF
If meaning “whether,”
as in I haven't decided if I'll go,
is sometimes criticized,
but the usage is long established as standard.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
Usage Note:
Many conditional (if ... then) constructions
seem bewilderingly picky
about which tenses, moods, and auxiliaries may go into them,
particularly those that have to do
with a counterfactual or make-believe world
—one that the writer thinks is likely to be false
but whose implications are worth exploring.
But the grammatical requirements for
such counterfactual sentences
are quite straightforward:
1. The if-clause must have a verb
in the conditional subjunctive mood
(which many linguists call by the Latin name irrealis
to distinguish it from the ordinary English subjunctive).
When referring to situations in the present,
this mood is identical to the preterite
or past-tense form (If you danced better ... )
except for the verb be,
whose irrealis is were rather than was
(If he were rich ...).
When a writer wants to refer to a situation
that hypothetically could have occurred in the past,
a more remote past form must be used
—the past perfect or the pluperfect
(If you had danced better ...; If he had been rich ...).
2. The then-clause must contain would
or a similar modal auxiliary such as could, should, or might.
A large percentage of the Usage Panel
disapproves of past counterfactual constructions
using did rather than had:
in 2011, 74 percent disliked
If I didn't have my seatbelt on, I'd be dead,
and 89 percent found it unacceptable to say
If he didn't come to America, our team never would have won the championship.
Forms using would have are somewhat more acceptable:
the sentence
If she would have only listened to me, this never would have happened
was acceptable to 33 percent of the Panel in 2016.
When the situation described by an if clause
is not presupposed to be false,
that clause must contain an indicative verb:
If Kevin was out sick yesterday, he will probably work late today.
Note also that the presence of the modal verb
would in the main clause should not be taken
as a sign that the verb in the if clause
must be in the subjunctive,
if the content of that clause is not presupposed to be false:
He would always call the office if he was (not were) going to be late for work.
According to the traditional rule,
the subjunctive is not used following verbs
such as ask or wonder in if clauses that express indirect questions,
even if the content of the question
is presumed to be contrary to fact:
We wondered if dinner was (not were) included in the room price.
· With all deference to the traditional rules,
it should be noted that a survey of the prose of reputable writers
over the past 200 years would reveal a persistent tendency
to use the indicative was where the traditional rule would require
the subjunctive were.
A sentence beginning If I was the only boy in the world,
while not strictly correct, is wholly unremarkable.
In informal writing both if and whether are standard
in their use to introduce a clause indicating uncertainty
after a verb such as ask, doubt, know, learn, or see:
We shall soon learn whether (or if) it is true.
In such contexts, however,
the use of if can sometimes create ambiguities.
Depending on the intended meaning,
the sentence Let her know if she is invited
might be better paraphrased as
Let her know whether she is invited or If she is invited, let her know.
When used as a coordinator,
the phrase if not always signals a contrast,
but it can have almost contradictory meanings,
depending on the context.
Sometimes it can mean "but not,"
as in She won her team's admiration, if not its award, for her performance in the playoffs
and The board was encouraged, if not convinced, by the budgetary projections.
At other times, especially
when there is a comparison of two adjectives or noun phrases
in which the second represents a significant increase in degree above the first,
if not usually means "and even,"
as in This job will be difficult, if not impossible
and The law practice includes clients from all over the state, if not the country.
Since many sentences of this kind
can be interpreted one way or the other,
it is important that
the context make clear what sort of contrast is being indicated by if not.
See Usage Notes at doubt, should, wish.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary
if & whether
usage:
if meaning “whether,”
as in I haven't decided if I'll go,
is sometimes criticized,
but the usage has been standard in English
for a long time
and is found in Shakespeare,
Dryden, and the King James Bible.
Collins COBUILD English Usage
if
1. possible situations
You use if to introduce a conditional clause
in which you mention a possible situation.
If you get tired, have a rest.
If the machine stops working, call this number.
You can use if to mention
a situation that might exist in the future.
In the conditional clause,
you use the present simple form.
Don't use a future form.
If all goes well, we will arrive by lunchtime.
If you make a mistake, you will have to start again.
You sometimes use if
in a conditional clause to suggest that someone does something.
You usually use the present simple in the conditional clause.
If you turn to page 15, you will see a list of questions.
You can use if to mention a situation that sometimes existed in the past.
You usually use the past simple in the conditional clause.
They ate outside if it was sunny.
If we had enough money, we used to go to the cinema.
You can also use if to mention something
that might have happened in the past,
but did not in fact happen.
In the conditional clause, you use the past perfect.
Don't use the past simple.
If he had known the truth, he would have run away.
If they had not met, this book would never have been written.
2. unlikely situations
You also use if in conditional clauses
to mention situations that do not exist,
or events that are unlikely to happen.
In the conditional clause, you use the past simple.
Don't use a present tense.
They would find it difficult to get a job if they left the farm.
If she wanted to, she could be a dancer.
In formal writing,
when the subject of the conditional clause is I, he, she, it, there,
or a singular noun,
you use were in the clause instead of 'was'.
If a problem were to arise, she would be able to resolve it.
Employees would be more productive if better resources were provided.
In conversation or informal writing
people usually use was (except in the expression If I were you).
If I was a painter, I'd paint this garden.
We would prefer it if the test was a bit easier.
Sometimes was is used in formal writing too,
but this is considered incorrect by many people.
3. in reported questions
If is also used in reported questions.
I asked her if I could help her.
I wonder if you understand what I mean.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree
whether
used to introduce
the first of two or more alternative conditions:
I haven’t decided whether to go or stay.
Not to be confused with:
weather – meteorological conditions:
temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation;
face or endure:
I can weather the storm.
Collins COBUILD English Usage
Weather– whether
1. 'weather'
If you are talking about the weather,
you are saying, for example,
that it is raining, cloudy, sunny, hot, or cold.
The weather was good for the time of year.
The trip was cancelled because of bad weather conditions.
Be Careful!
Weather is an uncountable noun.
Don't use 'a' with it.
Don't say, for example, 'We are expecting a bad weather'.
Say 'We are expecting bad weather'.
They completed the climb despite appalling weather.
The wedding took place in perfect May weather.
Don't tell someone what the weather is like by saying,
for example, 'It's lovely weather'.
Say 'The weather is lovely'.
The weather was awful. It hardly ever stopped raining.
2. 'whether'
Do not confuse weather with whether.
You use whether
when you are talking about two or more alternatives.
I don't know whether to go out or stay at home.
She asked whether I wanted more coffee.
whether
Whether is used in reported clauses and conditional clauses.
1. used in reported clauses
You can use a clause beginning with
whether after a reporting verb
such as know, ask, or wonder.
You use whether when you are mentioning two or more alternatives.
You put whether in front of the first alternative,
and/or in front of the second one.
I don't know whether he's in or out.
I was asked whether I wanted to stay at a hotel or at his home.
When the two alternatives are opposites,
you don't need to mention both of them.
For example,
instead of saying 'I don't know whether he's in or out',
you can simply say 'I don't know whether he's in'.
Lucy wondered whether Rita had been happy.
I asked Professor Gupta whether he agreed.
2. 'whether...or not'
You can also mention the second alternative using or not.
You put or not either at the end of the sentence
or immediately after whether.
I didn't know whether to believe him or not.
She didn't ask whether or not we wanted to come.
3. 'if'
If can be used instead of 'whether',
especially when the second alternative is not mentioned.
I asked her if I could help her
I rang up to see if I could get seats.
4. reporting uncertainty
If someone is uncertain about doing a particular thing,
or uncertain how to respond to a situation,
you can report this using a clause
consisting of whether and a to-infinitive.
I've been wondering whether to look for another job.
He didn't know whether to feel glad or sorry that she was leaving.
5. used in conditional clauses
You can add a clause containing whether and or not
to a sentence to indicate that
something is true in any of the circumstances you mention.
He's going to buy a house whether he gets married or not.
6. 'weather'
Do not confuse whether with weather,
which is pronounced the same way.
If you say that it is raining, windy, hot, or cold,
you are talking about the weather.
The wet weather lasted all weekend.
See weather - whether
