-
Whether
An interrogative word or question word is a function word used to ask a question, such as what, when, where, who, whom, why, and how. They are sometimes called wh-words, because in English most of them start with wh- (compare Five Ws). They may be used in both direct questions (Where is he going?) and in indirect questions (I wonder where he is going). In English and various other languages the same forms are also used as relative pronouns in certain relative clauses (The country where he was born) and certain adverb clauses (I go where he goes).
A particular type of interrogative word is the interrogative particle, which serves to convert a statement into a yes–no question, without having any other meaning. Examples include est-ce que in French, ли li in Russian, czy in Polish, ĉu in Esperanto, কি ki in Bengali, 吗 ma in Chinese, mı/mi in Turkish, pa in Ladin, か ka in Japanese and ko/kö in Finnish. (The English word whether has a similar function but only in indirect questions; and Multicultural London English may use “innit”, even in the absence of the pronoun “it”.) Such particles contrast with other interrogative words, which form what are called wh-questions rather than yes–no questions.
For more information about the grammatical rules for forming questions in various languages, see Interrogative.
-
Either (determiner)
One of two.
“You can have it in either colour.”
-
Either (determiner)
Each of two; both. from 9th c.
“There is a locomotive at either end of the train, one pulling and the other pushing.”
-
Either (pronoun)
One or other of two people or things.
“He made me two offers, but I did not accept either.”
-
Either (pronoun)
Both, each of two or more.
-
Either (adverb)
As well.
“I don’t like him, and I don’t like her either.”
-
Either (conjunction)
Introduces the first of two (or occasionally more) options or possibilities, the second (or last) of which is introduced by “or”.
“Either you eat your dinner or you go to your room.”
“You can have either potatoes or rice with that, but not both.”
“You’ll be either early, late, or on time.”
-
Whether (determiner)
Which of two.
-
Whether (pronoun)
Which of two. 11th-19th c.
-
Whether (conjunction)
Introducing a direct interrogative question (often with correlative or) which indicates doubt between alternatives.
-
Whether (conjunction)
Used to introduce an indirect interrogative question that consists of multiple alternative possibilities (usually with correlative or).
“He chose the correct answer, but I don’t know whether it was by luck or by skill.”
-
Whether (conjunction)
Without a correlative, used to introduce a simple indirect question.
“Do you know whether he’s coming?”
-
Whether (conjunction)
Used to introduce a disjunctive adverbial clause which qualifies the main clause of the sentence (with correlative or).
“He’s coming, whether you like it or not.”
-
Either (conjunction)
used before the first of two (or occasionally more) given alternatives (the other being introduced by ‘or’)
“either I accompany you to your room or I wait here”
“available in either black or white”
-
Either (conjunction)
used to indicate a similarity or link with a statement just made
“it won’t do any harm, but won’t really help either”
“You don’t like him, do you? I don’t either”
-
Either (conjunction)
for that matter; moreover
“I was too tired to go. And I couldn’t have paid, either”
-
Either (adverb)
used before the first of two (or occasionally more) given alternatives (the other being introduced by ‘or’)
“available in either black or white”
“either I accompany you to your room or I wait here”
-
Either (adverb)
used to indicate a similarity or link with a statement just made
“it won’t do any harm, but won’t really help either”
“You don’t like him, do you? I don’t either”
-
Either (adverb)
-
Either (adverb)
for that matter; moreover
“I was too tired to go. And I couldn’t have paid, either”
-
Either (determiner)
one or the other of two people or things
“there were no children of either marriage”
“their mortgage will be repaid if either of them dies”
-
Either (determiner)
each of two
“the road was straight, with fields on either side”
-
Either (pronoun)
one or the other of two people or things
“their mortgage will be repaid if either of them dies”
“there were no children of either marriage”
-
Either (pronoun)
-
Either (pronoun)
each of two
“the road was straight, with fields on either side”