Though lively and emotional, the debate over whether certain psychological problems are genetically determined or cemented in early childhood is ultimately irrelevant to the treatment of those problems.
A)Though lively and emotional, the debate over whether certain psychological problems are genetically determined or cemented in early childhood is ultimately irrelevant to the treatment of those problems.
B)The debate if certain psychological problems are determined by genetics, as opposed to cemented in early childhood, is ultimately irrelevant in treating those problems.
C)Regardless of whether certain psychological problems are genetically determined or cemented in early childhood -- the subject of lively debate -- they are ultimately irrelevant to psychological treatment.
D)Certain psychological problems may be determined genetically or cemented in early childhood -- the subject of lively and emotional debate -- but are ultimately irrelevant to their psychological treatment.
E)Even though lively and emotional debate exists whether certain psychological problems are genetically determined or cemented in early childhood, it is ultimately irrelevant to psychological treatment.
OAA
My doubt - Are "weather" and "or" acceptable in one sentence.
Weather and or
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Hi j_shreyans,
You asked about the usage of the word "whether", so I'll focus on that question.
The GMAT tends to use the word "whether" WITH the word "or."
eg. Whether this person or that person.
However, the word "whether" CAN have what is referred to as an "implied opposite", so the word "whether" doesn't have to have the word "or" after it.
eg. The diner did not know whether he should have dessert.
Whenever a sentence uses the word "whether', I tend to look for the word "or" (since this is the more common iteration), but the sentence still has to be grammatically correct, no matter which of the two options is used. THAT is the ultimately factor in which answer I choose.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
You asked about the usage of the word "whether", so I'll focus on that question.
The GMAT tends to use the word "whether" WITH the word "or."
eg. Whether this person or that person.
However, the word "whether" CAN have what is referred to as an "implied opposite", so the word "whether" doesn't have to have the word "or" after it.
eg. The diner did not know whether he should have dessert.
Whenever a sentence uses the word "whether', I tend to look for the word "or" (since this is the more common iteration), but the sentence still has to be grammatically correct, no matter which of the two options is used. THAT is the ultimately factor in which answer I choose.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Rich is absolutely right. I'd like to add one thing, though, that may address the source of your confusion...
When, as Rich said, we use "whether" to express a choice between a thing and its opposite, as in "The diner did not know whether he should have dessert," we do NOT use "whether or not." This construction is considered redundant.
So, when making a choice between two things... whether X or Y.
When making a choice between a thing and its opposite... whether X. (NOT whether X or not).
When, as Rich said, we use "whether" to express a choice between a thing and its opposite, as in "The diner did not know whether he should have dessert," we do NOT use "whether or not." This construction is considered redundant.
So, when making a choice between two things... whether X or Y.
When making a choice between a thing and its opposite... whether X. (NOT whether X or not).
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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whether is used when the intent is to depict a choice, an alternative or a possibility. Two most prominent grammatical clues indicate that whether should be used:
1. After prepositions
2. After verbs
Sentence under consideration is a classical example, where whether is used after the preposition over.
Since I see an option using if, this approach can actually prove quite handy in determining whether if or whether should be used:).
p.s. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses whether vs if usage, their application and examples in significant detail. If you can PM you email-id, I can send you the corresponding section.
1. After prepositions
2. After verbs
Sentence under consideration is a classical example, where whether is used after the preposition over.
Since I see an option using if, this approach can actually prove quite handy in determining whether if or whether should be used:).
p.s. Our book EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses whether vs if usage, their application and examples in significant detail. If you can PM you email-id, I can send you the corresponding section.
Ashish
MBA - ISB, GMAT - 99th Percentile
GMAT Faculty @ EducationAisle
www.EducationAisle.com
Sentence Correction Nirvana available at:
a) Amazon: Sentence Correction Nirvana
b) Flipkart: Sentence Correction Nirvana
Now! Preview the entire Grammar Section of Sentence Correction Nirvana at pothi
MBA - ISB, GMAT - 99th Percentile
GMAT Faculty @ EducationAisle
www.EducationAisle.com
Sentence Correction Nirvana available at:
a) Amazon: Sentence Correction Nirvana
b) Flipkart: Sentence Correction Nirvana
Now! Preview the entire Grammar Section of Sentence Correction Nirvana at pothi
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