Erin Posted August 24, 2002 Share Posted August 24, 2002 This is a GREAT resource for grammar: This one was written for NASA scientists, but it has a lot of good info: [*]http://stipo.larc.nasa.gov/sp7084/sp7084ch1.html [*]http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/ but it has some mistakes. For example, on page http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/plague.htm s/he says: In terms of: See if you can eliminate this phrase. should be In terms of: See whether you can eliminate this phrase. On the same page, s/he says: Orientate: The new students become oriented, not orientated. In British English, this is quite common. Therefore ETS cannot consider this incorrect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vreddy Posted January 10, 2004 Share Posted January 10, 2004 1. See if you can eliminate this phrase. The usage of if in the above is correct. The difference b/w if and whether is that the former expects an affirmative answer. Nor does "if" introduce a hypothetical clause in this kinda constructions. Look at what Bernie Ward says on KGO 810: 2. You are more than welcome if you would like to be part of this programme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted January 11, 2004 Author Share Posted January 11, 2004 Originally posted by vreddy The usage of if in the above is correct. The difference b/w if and whether is that the former expects an affirmative answer. Nor does "if" introduce a hypothetical clause in this kinda constructions.Well, my thinking is that if introduces adverb clauses, whether noun clauses. see is transitive in this sense and therefore requires a noun clause after it. Simple as that. :) Yes, we do speak this way all the time (I do too), but in written formal English, I think it is imprecise. Originally posted by vreddy Look at what Bernie Ward says on KGO 810: 2. You are more than welcome if you would like to be part of this programme.Awkward syntax, but grammatically sound--if introduces an adverb clause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vreddy Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I beg to disagree with the opinion of the majority vote in RE:if. If/Whether introduces nominal clauses, nor do they modify any in this scenario. 1. See whether you can eliminate this phrase. 2. Now choose yourself whether that you liketh. --Chaucer. 3. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? --Matt xxi.31 Given the italicized portion is a nominal clause, which part of speech is "whether"? Definitely it is not a conjunction/adverb, nor is it a pronoun(2 and 3 are examples of pronoun usage). In fact "that", being a determiner, markers a nominal, determining a clause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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