Iforwhether?

We can useiforwhetherto report indirectyes-noquestions andquestions withor.Ifis more common thanwhether:

Call the bakeries around town and find outifany of them sell raspberry pies.

I rang Peter from the station and askedifI could drop in to see him before going back orifhe’d meet me.

We often preferwhetherin more formal contexts:

The teachers will be askedwhetherthey would recommend the book to their classes.

[from a business meeting]

John read a letter that he’d written and the board discussedwhetherit should be mailed.

We preferwhetherwithorwhen there is more than one alternative in the indirect question:

After the election, we askedwhetherthe parties should change their leaders, their policies,orboth.

To express an alternative, we can useor notwithifandwhether. Withwhetherwe can useor notimmediately afterwhetheror in end position. Withifwe useor notin end position only:

I called Bill to find outwhether or nothe really did go to Afghanistan.

I called Bill to find outwhetherhe really did go to Afghanistanor not.

I called Bill to find outifhe really did go to Afghanistanor not.

We usewhetherand notifbefore ato-infinitive, often when we’re referring to future plans or decisions:

I was wonderingwhetherto go for a swim.

Some financial decisions, such as planning a pension, need to be taken as early as possible. Others, such aswhetherto move house, can probably only be made much later.

We usewhetherand notifafter prepositions:

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

Not:Later I argued with the doctor about if I had hit my head…

The police seemed mainly interested inwhetherthere were any locks on the windows.

Not:The police seemed mainly interested in if there were any locks…

We useiforwhetherto introduce clauses after verbs of doubting:

I don’t knowifI can drive. My foot really hurts.

I didn’t prune the rose bush this year so I doubtifwe’re going to have many flowers.(‘prune’ means cut back)

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

• We usewhether, notif, beforeto-infinitives:

I don’t knowwhetherto buy the blue one or the red one.

Not:I don’t know if to buy the blue one…

• We usewhether, notif, directly beforeor not:

Can you tell mewhether or notyou’re interested in the job.

Not:Can you tell me if or not you’re interested…

• We usewhether, notif, after prepositions:

[talking about a trip to Australia for a year]

We’re not interested inwhetherwe get great jobs and that kind of thing, we just want to have a good time.

Not:We’re not interested in if we get great jobs and that kind of thing…