Whether ou If, quando utilizar

3 13 98
Hello,

First, i´d like to say that this week was very productive. This community was on full trotle. Now, I have a doubt. When is possible to use "if" and when "whether" is used?

thanks in advance

Pergunta enviada por Gustavo no Grupo de Estudos do English Experts -
https://www.englishexperts.com.br/abert ... h-experts/ [340]

TESTE DE VOCABULÁRIO
Faça um teste e descubra como está seus conhecimentos de vocabulário de inglês em 5 minutos! Este teste foi desenvolvido por professores experientes. O resultado sai na hora e com gabarito. INICIAR TESTE
4 respostas
Ordenar por: Data
  Resposta mais votada
2 23
Yes, I see that it is a rule. However, we use them interchangeably here in the US and perhaps it is similar to saying "like what" which means , for example. Once a British person was very snobby with me when I used it but it is common informal usage here. We use if or whether the same way. Perhaps it is informal or incorrect. As I said, it is not the kind of rule we would know here as we learn these things by what sounds right to us not by rules. It is the same with prepositions. I believe there are some general rules about them but even as an English teacher, I do not know them. When foreigners are studying English they often ask me but I cannot explain for example why we say get on a bus, on a train. on a plane but in a car. We just know what to say. We never study it. I know there are complicated rules also for when to sound an ed ending as in doubted as opposed to walked where we say something like walkt . We just "know" how to pronounce them because of what sounds right to us. It is
much different to teach English ( literature, grammar, writing, voc , etc) to native speakers from teaching English as a second language.
TESTE DE VOCABULÁRIO
Faça um teste e descubra como está seus conhecimentos de vocabulário de inglês em 5 minutos! Este teste foi desenvolvido por professores experientes. O resultado sai na hora e com gabarito. INICIAR TESTE
3 13 98
Hello Gustavo,

First of all I see many of the Brazilians persisting in using the word "doubt (dúvida)" when an English person would choose to use the word "question.' We do not say "I have a doubt"(tenho uma dúvida) in English when we mean "I have a question..or...I want to ask something." This is important to learn in English. You must say "Question...or ....I have a question."

"If and whether" are similar. Whether differs from if in that the word whether is connected with the idea of contrasting ideas or opinions.
"Whether" is always connected to a negative follow up idea," whereas "if" is not necessarily connected to a negative follow up idea.
In other words English speakers use the word "whether" when contrasting (or comparing) alternatives i.e. positive possibilities against negative possibilities.
When you use the word "whether" you must always use the word "not" in the same phrase.

Example:
I am going to the movies whether you like it or not.
I don't care whether you want to me stay home or not.
I make my own decisions whether or not you agree with me.

I hope this helps you a little bit.
Regards,

Resposta enviada por Bill no Grupo de Estudos do English Experts -
https://www.englishexperts.com.br/abert ... h-experts/ [340]
2 23
You can substitute if for all of these sentences also. Interestingly, I never knew that whether was used in only negative expressions. I never really thought about it. It is not the kind of thing we learn when we are taught about English as native speakers. If may not be correct in the negative sentences, but we substitute if for whether all of the time. In the last sentence the word order would have to change. I make my own decisions if you agree with me or not. Interesting!!!
23 127 1.7k
Complemento:


1. Onde somente "if" deve ser usado.

a. If you don't stay here, you will get hurt. [Se você não ficar aqui, você vai se machucar.]
b. If I had this book, I would read it. [Se eu tivesse este livro, eu iria lê-lo.]
c. If you studied, you would pass. [Se você estudasse, você passaria.]


2. Onde somente "whether" deve ser usado.

a. Now, I have to study whether I want to or not. [Agora eu tenho que estudar querendo ou não.]
b. I'm still undecided whether to get married or not. [Eu ainda estou indeciso em relação a casar ou não.]
c. I'm going whether you like it or not. [Eu irei, você gostando ou não gostando.]


Bons estudos!