Whether vs. If

Whether vs. If Whether vs. If Whether vs. If By Maeve Maddox A reader writes: A colleague at work says the following sentence is incorrect: â€Å"Promotion depends on if the employee maintains a good attendance record.† I don’t see anything wrong with it. Is she just being disagreeable? I can’t say whether the colleague is being disagreeable or not, but I can say why she objects to the sentence. The conjunctions if and whether are often used interchangeably. Sometimes such usage can pass, but sometimes whether is the only choice. One rule often cited is that if does not follow a preposition. Corrected, the sentence is â€Å"Promotion depends on whether the employee maintains a good attendance record.† Seeking to avoid confusion, Sir Ernest Gowers added this entry to the 1963 edition of Fowler’s Modern English Usage: To avoid possible ambiguity it may be prudent to confine if to its proper duty of introducing the protasis of a conditional sentence, and not to use it as a substitute for though or whether or (with not) to introduce a possible alternative. Note: In the context of grammar, protasis is â€Å"the first or introductory clause in a sentence, especially the clause which expresses the condition in a conditional sentence.† The Chicago Manual of Style spells out two instances in which if should not be used in lieu of whether: 1. to introduce a noun clause in an indirect question the answer to which is either yes or no. INCORRECT: He asked if his tie was straight. CORRECT: He asked whether his tie was straight. The only possible answer is yes or no. 2. to avoid ambiguity. INCORRECT: Call me to let me know if you can come. CORRECT: Call me to let me know whether you can come. With if, two interpretations are possible: 1. Call regardless of your answer. 2. Call only if you will be coming. By using whether, the speaker makes it clear that a call is desired, regardless of whether the person is coming or not. Chicago includes three other notes on the if/whether dichotomy in the â€Å"Good usage versus common usage† section: determine whether; determine if. The first phrasing is irreproachable style; the second is acceptable as a colloquialism. The same is true of decide whether versus decide if. doubt that; doubt whether; doubt if. Doubt that conveys a negative sense of skepticism or questioning: â€Å"I doubt that you’ll ever get your money back.† Doubt whether also conveys a sense of skepticism â€Å"The official says that he doubts whether the company could survive.† Doubt if is a casual phrasing for doubt that. question whether; question of whether; question as to whether. The first phrasing is the best, the second is next best, and the third is to be avoided. Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage) acknowledges that if â€Å"can’t really be called an error,† but adds, â€Å"when you are discussing two alternative possibilities, whether sounds more polished.† A note by David Foster Wallace in the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus offers â€Å"a simple test†: If you can coherently insert an â€Å"or not† after either the conjunction or the clause it introduces, you need whether. He gives these examples: He didn’t know whether [or not] it would rain. YES She asked me straight out whether I was a fetishist [or not]. YES We told him to call if [or not] he needed a ride. NO If is used to express a conditional. Whether is used to introduce alternative possibilities. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†Rules for Capitalization in Titles30 Words Invented by Shakespeare

How Do You Become a Pharmacy Technician

How Do You Become a Pharmacy Technician a pharmacy technician is responsible for assisting the pharmacist on duty to help patients or customers and fill prescriptions. you’ll need a keen eye for detail, a great deal of patience, and training that covers basic pharmacology, medication dispensing, and an understanding of pharmacy law and ethics. education and trainingyou will need a high school diploma or a ged equivalent to qualify for on-the-job training- many aspiring pharm techs find getting such  training is easier after post-secondary training at an online certification program or vocational school, community college, or technical institute. it may take anywhere from 3 months to a year.vocational school and community college coursework will emphasize commonly used mathematics, chemistry, and medication orientations to familiarize aspiring pharm techs with names, side effects, interactions, and dispensing protocols. some training programs even offer internships for hands-on experience, a great way to get to kno w a pharmacy before committing to the 6 year process of becoming a pharmacist.certificationsthe pharmacy technician certification board (ptcb) requires you to have a diploma and pass a certification exam. the national healthcareer association (nha) requires you to be 18 years old and have a high school diploma, a formal training program, and a year of work under your belt.you’ll be required to re-certify every 2 years because of the rate of change in healthcare policies and advances in the field. pursuing 20 hours of continuing education will keep you up-to-date. many pharm techs report that this process of staying current (along with the patience of keeping up with a busy pharmacy) are the most challenging parts of the job.employersmost pharm techs are found in hospitals, retail pharmacies, assisted living and education institutions, and veterinary offices. the bureau of labor statistics predicts employment growth of about 20 percent for the field through  2022- faster tha n the average growth rate for all occupations. those stats amounts to  70,700 new positions to be filled during that period.here are some of the biggest current employers in the field:salarythe average salary is $38,600 nationally, with rates increasing with seniority, specialty certifications, and competitive institutional pay scale policies. the metropolitan areas that offer the highest compensation are all located in california, including the metropolitan areas of oakland, napa, san francisco, san jose, and madera.sample job postingpharmacy technician,   orlando, flunder the direct supervision of the pharmacy services call center supervisor, the pharmacy call center technician is responsible for providing knowledgeable and courteous customer assistance and response to members, providers, and pharmacy call center technician inquiries.position qualifications/requirementseducation and training:  high school diploma or the equivalentexperience:  2 years pharmacy technician ex perience in a healthcare, long term care or retail environment; minimum 35 wpm typingrequired experience:  pharmacy tech, high school, national pharmacy technician certification: 3 yearslicenses, registrations or certifications:  national pharmacy technician certificationprincipal accountabilitieshandles calls and correspondence regarding pharmacy issues from providers/physicians and members. documents calls in inquiry tracking system. facilitates problem resolution and acts as customer advocate.performs initial research of pharmacy issues. reconciles plan information utilizing department-generated procedures and reference materials. utilizes internal pharmacy systems to update, modify and extract member information.assists network pharmacist in processing prescription claims. reviews claims for accuracy and adherence to contract guidelines maintained.assists with entering prior authorizations when required; provides follow up assistance for prior authorization requests, follows up with requests from physicians for denial letters, provides assistance in gathering historical claim information as required.discriminates between routine and significant matters; apprises management of issues which can negatively affect service and business. identifies provider/physician/member issues and refers to appropriate departments.maintains a balance of productivity, quality, and timeliness of job accountabilities.demonstrates flexibility and cooperation when faced with changing priorities to meet shifting needs.creates and supports an environment which fosters teamwork, cooperation, respect, and diversity.assists with training of new hires. attends required training as requested. develops and maintains desktop procedures.apply here: pharmacy technician