Re: whether

[Matthew Faupel <Matthew.Faupel@ANSA.CO.UK>]

Robin Turner wrote:

> "She knew whether he was hungry."

> Is this really Standard English?  I have never heard "whether" used like
> this, though I suppose it might be common in the U.S.  Us Brits would just
> say "She knew he was hungry."

I'm British, and I can see a distinct difference between the two.  "She knew
whether he was hungry" does not imply that he was hungry, just that she knew
whether or not he was.

Cheers,


Matthew