[General] Difference ?

[zainab shah]

First of all I want to say sorry for my last post If one mind that.............
I really appreciate your team for doing such a nice job of promoting your language.
I want to ask that what's the difference between "whether & Either "
Sometimes both words are replaced by each other ,I am so confused between their difference.Will you please tell me their difference?:up:

 

[TheParser]

First of all I want to say sorry for my last post If one mind that.............
I really appreciate your team for doing such a nice job of promoting your language.
I want to ask that what's the difference between "whether & Either "
Sometimes both words are replaced by each other ,I am so confused between their difference.Will you please tell me their difference?:up:

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good morning, Zainab Shah.

(1) Many times, "whether" is like "if":

I do not know whether/if I will have time to visit you.

(2) "Either" is the negative of "too."

George speaks French, and he speaks Chinese, too.

George doesn't speak French, and he doesn't speak Chinese, either.

Have a nice day!

 

[euncu]

I guess the confusion emerged from the usage with "or";

whether X or Y
either X or Y

But for the rest, TheParser gave you the answer already.

 

[zainab shah]

S:-(rry to say but I didn't understand their difference.
let's see "I have to go to university whether I want to go or not"
& " I have to go to university either I want to go or not",
which one is correct:?:

 

[philadelphia]

I have to go to university even though I do not want to go

Whether is used:
-especially in reporting questions and expression doubts, if or not. Eg I doubt whether it'll work or not
-to introduce two or more possibilities. Eg I do not know whether s/he is X or Y

Either is used when referring to a choice between two possibilities. Eg I can either eat X or Y

They can be used in other meanings/cases but those cases seem to be the matter for you

Not a teacher at all

 

[TheParser]

S:-(rry to say but I didn't understand their difference.
let's see "I have to go to university whether I want to go or not"
& " I have to go to university either I want to go or not",
which one is correct:?:

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good morning, Zainab Shah.

(1) The other posters have given very good answers.

(2) Let's try this:

Tom: Why are you so sad?

Martha: I do not want to go to the university. But my father has told me

that I have to go whether or not I want to. / that I have to go whether

I want to go or not.

> Martha's father has ordered her to go to the university. It does NOT

matter what she wants. She IS going!!!

*****

Mr. Smith: Do you want to go to work, or do you want to attend college?

Susan (his daughter): I do not want to work, and I do not want to attend

college. I just want to have fun (go to parties, travel, buy clothes, etc.).

Mr. Smith: Listen, young lady. You will EITHER go to work OR attend

college. Choose one -- right now!

> Susan will have to choose one of the choices. She must obey her

father's orders.

Have a nice day!

 

[Raymott]

S:-(rry to say but I didn't understand their difference.
let's see "I have to go to university whether I want to go or not"
& " I have to go to university either I want to go or not",
which one is correct:?:

euncu has pointed out a similarity, and this similarity might be what is confusing you.

It might be better for you to disregard the fact that these words share some similar letters, and treat them as completely different words. They aren't related.