The use of "whether"

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Rachel Adams

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Hello.

Is my sentence correct? It is an answer to the question "Do many women study for a master's degree in your area?"
I am not sure if "whether" is correct.
"It depends on whether or not a woman wants to get married (or to have children)."
 

GoesStation

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Hello.

Is my sentence correct? It is an answer to the question "Do many women study for a master's degree in your area?"
I am not sure if "whether" is correct.
"It depends on whether or not a woman wants to get married (or to have children)."
The sentence isn't wrong, but it doesn't completely answer the question.
 

Tdol

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It's grammatically correct, but can't a woman do a master's and want to get married, or marry?
 

Rachel Adams

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It's grammatically correct, but can't a woman do a master's and want to get married, or marry?

I think it's possible. I didn't express my opinion in that sentence.
 

emsr2d2

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It's not a logical answer. The expected answers would be:
1. Yes, a lot of them do.
2. No, not very many of them do.

The information about their decision being based on whether they want to marry and/or have kids would be supplementary information that is entirely unnecessary when answering the original question.
 

Phaedrus

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Is my sentence correct? It is an answer to the question "Do many women study for a master's degree in your area?"
I am not sure if "whether" is correct.
"It depends on whether or not a woman wants to get married (or to have children)."

The "or not" is not incorrect, but it's also unnecessary:

It depends on whether a woman wants to get married (or to have children).

The sentence has the same meaning with or without "or not."
 

Tdol

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It may be a cultural issue- the answer doesn't make a lot of sense to us.
 

Rachel Adams

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The "or not" is not incorrect, but it's also unnecessary:

It depends on whether a woman wants to get married (or to have children).

The sentence has the same meaning with or without "or not."

With "whether" "or" is unnecessary but with "if" it should not be used. If I remember correctly.
 
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PaulMatthews

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With "whether" "or not" is unnecessary but with "if" it should not be used. If I remember correctly.


It depends on [whether/*if or not a woman wants to get married (or to have children)].

You are right: when "or not" immediately follows the subordinator, only "whether" is permitted.
 
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