Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • When do we use 'if' and when do we use 'whether'?

  • Let's take a look.

  • The simple rule is that with conditional sentences

  • we use 'if', and when we have two options, we

  • use 'whether'.

  • 'If I get hungry, I'll have a snack.'

  • 'But, I don't know whether to have an apple

  • or a biscuit.'

  • When asking an indirect yes/ no question,

  • we can use either 'if' or 'whether' - both are

  • correct.

  • 'Do you know if the apples are fresh?'

  • 'Do you know whether the biscuits are any good?'

  • 'Whether' is maybe a little bit more formal,

  • but with both questions there are only two

  • possible answersyes or no.

  • Why don't you try now! Write us a question

  • or a sentence using 'if' or 'whether' in the comments

  • to practise. We love hearing from you.

When do we use 'if' and when do we use 'whether'?

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it