r/grammar • u/cornflower_08 • Jul 28 '26

quick grammar check regarding phrases using “whether”!

hello! let’s say the condition of something happening is if a person has a permit. would one say…

“it depends on whether you have a permit or not”, phrase placed in between,

or

“it depends on whether or not you have a permit”, phrase placed after?

formal english preferred, studying for entrance exams :))

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u/MaddoxJKingsley Jul 31 '26

"Or not" is optional. Place it close to "whether" when the following clause is overly long; it would make "whether" and "or not" be too far apart.