Grammar: How to use IF & WHETHER properly

1,031,047 views ・ 2015-07-31

Adam’s English Lessons


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00:01
Hi again. Welcome back to www.engvid.com. My name's Adam. Welcome again. Today's lesson
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嗨,欢迎来到www.engvid.com.我是Adam,再次欢迎。今天的课程
00:07
is a grammar lesson, and this is a question that I am asked often. What is the difference
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是语法课,这也是我经常问的一个问题。”if”和”whether”有什么区别?
00:13
between "if" and "whether"? Okay? It's a very good question. It's pretty simple, straightforward,
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好,这是一个非常好的问题。坦白的说,它非常简单。
00:20
but we're going to look at both of these in relation to each other.
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但是我们要看一下它们在这些情况下各自有哪些联系
00:24
First of all, let's make sure everybody understands "whether" is not spelled the same as "weather",
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首先,让我们确保每个人都明白”whether”和”weather”的拼法是不一样的,
00:31
like sunny, raining. This is about rain, sun, snow, wind, temperature; this is similar to
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就像晴天,雨天。这是关于雨,太阳,雪,风,温度;这跟”if”是相似的,
00:42
"if", it's about having choices. Okay?
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if是与选择相关的。好的?
00:45
So, in some situations, "if" and "whether" are interchangeable, but the best way to not
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所以,在某些情况下,”if”和”whether”是可以互换使用的,但为了在文章中不
00:53
make a mistake, not to mix them up in the wrong context is to always use "if" for conditionals;
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犯错误,不把他们混合在一起最好的方式是用”if”来表示条件;
01:00
always use "whether" when you're talking about two alternatives, two choices. Okay? You'll
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当你谈论两个选项,两个选择的时候,通常用”whether”。好的。你将
01:05
see what I mean.
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明白我说的是什么意思。
01:07
When they can be interchanged. First of all, when they are used as noun clauses, means
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当它们可以互换时。首先,当它们被用作名词时,意味着
01:13
they can be the object or the subject of a sentence, they can mean the same thing. But
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它们可以作为句子的宾语或主语,它们可以表达一样的东西。但是
01:19
again, avoid using them the same if you don't want to make mistakes. "Do you know if Dan
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再一次,如果你不想犯错误,不要同样地使用它们。”Do you know if Dan
01:25
is coming?" Do you know what? If Dan is coming. "Do you know whether Dan is coming?" In this
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s coming”你知道什么?Dan是否要来。 "Do you know whether Dan is coming?"在这
01:32
case, they basically mean the same thing. Yes or no: is he coming or is he not coming?
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种情况下,它们基本上意味着同样的事情。是或不是;他要来吗或他不会来吗?
01:38
You could add the "or not?" here: "Do you know whether Dan is coming or not?" But the
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你可以把 "or not?"加在这里; "Do you know whether Dan is coming or not?但是
01:45
word "whether" already gives you a choice between yes or no in this particular case,
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在这种特定的情况下, "whether" 已经在是或不是中给出了选择。
01:51
so this is not necessary. It's understood. Okay?
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所以这是不需要的。这是约定俗成的。好的
01:56
Now, let's look at these two sentences: "I don't know if the exam is on Friday or Saturday.",
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现在,让我们来看一下这两个句子:"I don't know if the exam is on Friday or Saturday."
02:03
"I don't know whether the exam is on Friday or Saturday." So here, we're looking directly
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"I don't know whether the exam is on Friday or Saturday." 在这里,我们直接看出了
02:08
at a choice. When I use "whether": "I don't know whether the exam is on Friday or Saturday."
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一个选择。当我使用 "whether":我不知道这个测试是在星期五还是星期六
02:14
So again, you have two options when you look at "whether". Friday is one option, Saturday
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所以,再一次。当你学习 "whether"的时候你有两个选择,星期五是一个选择,星期六
02:19
is another option. The problem here is if you use "if", "if" is not limited to two options.
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是另一个选择。这里有一个问题是当你使用 "if"时,"if"不仅仅只有两个选择。
02:27
"I don't know if the exam is on Friday or Saturday, or if it's next week sometime."
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我不知道测试是星期五或是星期六或下周的什么时间。
02:33
So here, although they seem to mean the same thing, the "if" gives you other options that
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所以,这里,尽管他们意味着同样的事情, "if" 给出了其他的选择
02:40
the "whether" doesn't. "Whether": one, two. "If": one, two, or something completely different.
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"whether"却不会, "Whether"可以有一个,两个选择。"If":一个,两个,或其他完全不同的东西。
02:46
So if you want to avoid making this mistake, use "whether" for the choices, use... Save
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所以如果你想避免犯错,用 "whether" 来表示选择,用
02:53
"if" for when you have your conditional sentence. Now, what is a conditional sentence? A conditional
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"if"当你有条件语句时。现在,条件语句是什么?一个条件
02:59
sentence is using "if" as an adverb clause. There's a condition. If "A" happens, "B" will
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语句是用if引导的状语从句。如果A发生,则B
03:06
happen. Okay? One thing needs to happen for the second thing to happen, that's the condition.
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发生。okay?一件事情的发生需要另一件事情的发生,这就是条件。
03:12
So: "Let me know", oh, sorry. I forgot this word, here. "Let me know if you're coming.",
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"Let me know",我忘记了这里的一个词。"Let me know if you're coming."
03:21
"Let me know whether you're coming." In this case, they're both okay. "Let me know whether
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Let me know whether you're coming." 这两个句子都是可以的。"Let me know whether
03:27
you're coming or not."
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you're coming or not."
03:28
Now, what's the difference between: "Let me know if you're coming", "Let me know whether
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现在,这三个句子有什么不同: "Let me know if you're coming", "Let me know whether
03:32
you're coming or not"? If you are coming, yes, let me know. This is a conditional. If
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you're coming or not"?如果你要来,通知我。这是一个条件。如果
03:40
this is true, do this. "Let me know whether you're coming or not." If you're coming, let
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这是真的,做它。如果你要来的话,通
03:47
me know; if you're not coming, let me know. So in this case, both apply. Okay? So, again,
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知我;如果你不来的话,通知我。所以这种情况下,两者都可以。Okay?所以,再一次
03:58
use this to... The condition. This is the condition, this is the result. Here, this
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这种情况用于条件。这是条件,这是结果。这里,无论如何,这是
04:04
is going to happen regardless. So we're going to look at this in a second in more detail.
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将要发生的。 我们接下来看一下更多的细节。
04:09
Okay?
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04:10
"I'll come over if you want me to." If you want it, I will do it; if you don't want it,
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"I'll come over if you want me to."如果你想要的话,我将要去做它;如果你不想要的话
04:18
I will not do it. So this is the condition. If you want me to, I'll come over. This is
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我将不会做。所以这是一个条件。如果你想的话,我将顺便过去。这是
04:25
the condition, this is the result. So your best option is to always use "if" with conditionals,
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条件,这是结果。所以你最好的选择是用"if"来描述条件,
04:31
use "whether" to talk about two alternatives.
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用 "whether" 来谈论两个选择。
04:34
Now, the other common use of "whether" is to mean "regardless". Doesn't matter what
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现在, "whether"另一个普遍的用法是"regardless"。不管
04:41
happens, regardless of the situation, here's what I want you to do. "I'm coming over whether
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发生了什么,无论是什么情况,这是我想让你做的。我将会过来,无论
04:47
you like it or not." Okay. "Whether you like it or not" means if you like it, I'm coming
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你喜欢或是不喜欢。 Okay."Whether you like it or not"意思是如果你同意,我会过来,
04:53
over; if you don't like it, too bad, I'm coming over. So this verb is going to happen regardless
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如果你不同意,太糟糕,我也会过来。所以这个动词是无论是什么情况
05:02
of this situation. Okay? So that's when we must also use the "or not". Remember here,
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我都会过来。 Okay? 所以这就是我们必须使用 "or not"的时候。记住这点,
05:09
I said "or not" can come out because it's understood here. Here are your two options.
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我说这里不需要 "or not" 因为这是约定俗成的,这是两个选择。
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Here, it's not about options. Here, it's about saying something is regardless. Doesn't matter
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这里,它不是关于选择。这里谈论的是无论如何。无论
05:21
what you like, what you don't like - I'm coming over. Okay? "I'm coming over if you like it",
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你喜欢还是不喜欢,我将会过去。Okay? "I'm coming over if you like it"
05:30
it means: you like it, I'm coming; you don't like it, I'm not coming. Okay?
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意思是:如果你喜欢,我将过去,你不喜欢,我将不会过去。Okay?
05:34
So: "whether", to talk about regardless, you must have the "or not". To give the options,
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所以,"whether"来描述regardless时,你必须有"or not"。当表示给出选择时,
05:41
you don't need the "or not". If, in a noun clause-means this situation-is the object
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你不需要 "or not"如果一个名词性从句是
05:50
of "know". Know what? If he is coming. Yes or no. Here, it's a conditional. So first
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"know"的宾语。知道什么?如果他来的话,是或否。这里,这是一个条件。所以
05:58
of all, you must understand: is it a noun clause object or is it an adverb clause condition?
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首先,你必须理解:它是名词性从句的宾语还是状语从句的条件?
06:04
So, to avoid making mistakes, especially in written English: use "if" for conditionals,
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所以,为了避免犯错误,尤其是书面英语;用 "if" 来表示条件
06:11
use "whether" for alternatives or to mean "regardless". Okay? It's a little bit tricky,
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用 "whether"来表示选择或表示"regardless"。Okay?它有点复杂,
06:18
but when you see more examples, it will become much clearer.
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但是当你看到很多的例子,它将会变得更简单点。
06:22
So if you want to see more examples, come to www.engvid.com. There's a quiz there that
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如果你想看跟多的例子,来www.engvid.com.那有一个习题来
06:27
will test your understanding of this. Ask any questions you have on the comments section.
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测试你对这些内容的理解。如果有问题的话可以在评论区提出来。
06:33
Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Come back. I'll see you again. Bye.
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不要忘记订阅我的YouTube频道,下次再见,拜拜。
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