Whether or not we know it, the word whether can be used two different ways. The Merriam-Webster dictionary explains that whether is an archaic pronoun that once referred to “one” or “whichever one of the two.” Now, used as a conjunction, it still refers to a situation involving conditions or alternatives. These alternatives can be either directly stated or implied. Further, “whether” can  be used either with the additional “or not” or “or no”—or without these phrases.

Whether or not is typically used in cases when only one of the alternatives is directly stated. The reader can infer from the or not that neither of the following alternatives is truly significant; rather, the emphasis shifts to the main clause. It almost sounds synonymous with saying “despite the fact that” or “either way.”

EX: Whether or not you made the deposit, our account balance will still be too low to make the payment.

EX: Whether or not Julie stays in town, she’ll be hard-pressed to find a station with decent gas prices.

Whether, used without not, generally reads better when multiple alternatives are stated. Whether can attribute more significance to the alternatives. Notice how, in the first example below, the reader must note that one of the two alternatives will happen. “Mom” will either cook, or she will order out.

EX: Whether Mom cooks the steaks or orders take-out depends on how exhausting her work day was today.

EX: The newest census should reveal whether more citizens are moving into London’s urban district or relocating to its suburbs.

Basically, whether or not to use the “or not” is a personal choice. While it is never wrong to use "or not" with whether, the writer’s style and reader’s preferences impact its inclusion or omission in creating effective writing.

In addition to this discussion of whether or not, we recommend the following website for a look at commonly accepted uses of the conjunction: http://www.cjr.org/tools/lc/whether.asp.

Test your knowledge of this conjunction by deciding which use is better in the following sentences:

1. Cheryl decided she would try bungee jumping at least once, (whether, whether or not) her heart doctor gave her the OK.

2. (Whether or not, whether) the priest served at this church or that one, his qualifications for serving as Pope are undeniable.

3. Deciding (whether, whether or not) to take an extra day off work or to save the day for later was no problem for Bob: he never took vacations. Work was life.

Answers

1. Cheryl decided she would try bungee jumping at least once, whether or not her heart doctor gave her the OK.

2. Whether the priest served at this church or that one, his qualifications for serving as Pope are undeniable.

3. Deciding whether to take an extra day off work or to save the day for later was no problem for Bob: he never took vacations. Work was life.

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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