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whether usage

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raj
 Post subject: whether usage
 Post Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:25 pm 
'Please let me know whether I can do this work?' is correct or

'Please let me know whether I can do this work or not?' is correct.


I saw a idiom in Manhatton SC book as 'whether to'
does it mean 'to' is compulsory after 'whether'?
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StaceyKoprince
 Post subject: "whether"
 Post Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:04 am 
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ManhattanGMAT Staff


Posts: 6077
Location: San Francisco
don't use "whether or not" - the "or not" is redundant b/c "whether" already implies both sides.

also, "to" is not compulsory after whether but it is a very common idiom (usage) which is why it's listed in the book.

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Stacey Koprince
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viksnme
 Post subject: Re: "whether or not"
 Post Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:03 am 
skoprince wrote:
don't use "whether or not" - the "or not" is redundant b/c "whether" already implies both sides.

also, "to" is not compulsory after whether but it is a very common idiom (usage) which is why it's listed in the book.


Hi Stacey, I found recently the usage of 'whether or not' in a CR question in the GMAT official verbal review book. Since GMAC defines the rules, does this mean the use of 'whether or not' is now correct ?

Regards
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RonPurewal
 Post subject: Re: "whether or not"
 Post Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:59 am 
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ManhattanGMAT Staff


Posts: 7146
viksnme wrote:
skoprince wrote:
don't use "whether or not" - the "or not" is redundant b/c "whether" already implies both sides.

also, "to" is not compulsory after whether but it is a very common idiom (usage) which is why it's listed in the book.


Hi Stacey, I found recently the usage of 'whether or not' in a CR question in the GMAT official verbal review book. Since GMAC defines the rules, does this mean the use of 'whether or not' is now correct ?

Regards


if you see 'whether or not' in a reputable source, it's probably being used for some rhetorical purpose. most commonly, it's used to emphasize that event X will happen regardless of whether event Y happens, as in the following:
your connecting flight will leave las vegas as scheduled, whether or not your first flight gets there on time.
note that this sentence doesn't make any sense without the 'or not' part (try it yourself and see) - the whole point of the second clause is to emphasize that the connecting flight will leave on time if you're there, and will also leave on time if you're not.

could you post the problem number of the cr question to which you refer? you're not allowed to post the text of the problem, but i don't see any reason why you can't post the problem number.
thanks.
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