“whether ..or ..is a coordinating conjunction structure that is used to present two or more possibilities or choices, and its structure is usually as:
whether a or b
Indicates the selection: Used to ask a question or choice, whatever the case may be.
Indicates uncertainty: Sometimes used to express the speaker's uncertainty or acceptance of both possibilities about something.
In Graduate English, this structure can be used in a variety of contexts:
Represents two possibilities:the researcher questioned whether the solution was effective or the results were a coincidence.
The researchers questioned whether the solution worked or whether the results were just a coincidence.
Indicates that it is not important:the manager said he would support the project whether it was led by team a or team b.
The manager said he would support the project, whether it was led by Team A or Team B.
Bootstrap object clause:i wonder whether she will attend the conference or choose to participate online.
I wonder if she'll be attending the meeting or choosing to participate.
In Graduate School English Writing, "whether ...or ..Structure can be used to improve the accuracy and logic of the argument. For example:
it is crucial to determine whether the policy will benefit the majority or serve only a select few.
It is crucial to determine whether this policy benefits the majority or only serves the few.
Use "whether ...or ..The following points should be noted:
Difference with 'if': "whether" is often used to indicate two explicit choices, while "if" is more often used for conditional sentences. In some cases, "whether" can be replaced by "if", but "if" cannot always replace "whether".
Don't leave out the 'or'The "whether" is usually followed by the "or" to form a complete structure.
Avoid repetition:“whether ..or ..The structure itself already contains the meaning of choice, so there is no need to add additional words such as "either" to express choice.
The position in the object clause: When "whether ...or ..When leading an object clause, it can be placed at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle of a sentence.
whether ..or ..It is an important grammatical structure in postgraduate English, and through its word-by-word explanation, I hope you can better understand its meaning and usage, so that you can be more handy in the exam.
If you're in the understanding of "whether ...or ..If you have any questions about the structure, or need further examples and Xi, please feel free to ask. I'm here to help you and I wish you excellent results in your postgraduate English!