Strange use of “whether … than …” in official text












3















Is using "whether ... than ..." in the following grammatically correct? "This applies whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018."



The phrase comes from the IRS publication 519 (2018), Chapter 1, Section "Dual-Status Aliens", Subsection "Last Year of Residency", Paragraph "Residency during the next year", with my bold.




Residency during the next year. If you are a U.S. resident during any part of 2019 and you are a resident during any part of 2018, you will be treated as a resident through the end of 2018. This applies whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018, and whether you are a resident under the substantial presence test or green card test.




(I should add that I am obviously not looking for legal advice: in any case this paragraph does not apply to me.)






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  • This applies if it's true that you have a closer connection...

    – Centaurus
    1 hour ago
















3















Is using "whether ... than ..." in the following grammatically correct? "This applies whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018."



The phrase comes from the IRS publication 519 (2018), Chapter 1, Section "Dual-Status Aliens", Subsection "Last Year of Residency", Paragraph "Residency during the next year", with my bold.




Residency during the next year. If you are a U.S. resident during any part of 2019 and you are a resident during any part of 2018, you will be treated as a resident through the end of 2018. This applies whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018, and whether you are a resident under the substantial presence test or green card test.




(I should add that I am obviously not looking for legal advice: in any case this paragraph does not apply to me.)






grammaticality







share|improve this question







New contributor




Bruno Le Floch is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





















  • This applies if it's true that you have a closer connection...

    – Centaurus
    1 hour ago














3












3








3








Is using "whether ... than ..." in the following grammatically correct? "This applies whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018."



The phrase comes from the IRS publication 519 (2018), Chapter 1, Section "Dual-Status Aliens", Subsection "Last Year of Residency", Paragraph "Residency during the next year", with my bold.




Residency during the next year. If you are a U.S. resident during any part of 2019 and you are a resident during any part of 2018, you will be treated as a resident through the end of 2018. This applies whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018, and whether you are a resident under the substantial presence test or green card test.




(I should add that I am obviously not looking for legal advice: in any case this paragraph does not apply to me.)






grammaticality







share|improve this question







New contributor




Bruno Le Floch is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












Is using "whether ... than ..." in the following grammatically correct? "This applies whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018."



The phrase comes from the IRS publication 519 (2018), Chapter 1, Section "Dual-Status Aliens", Subsection "Last Year of Residency", Paragraph "Residency during the next year", with my bold.




Residency during the next year. If you are a U.S. resident during any part of 2019 and you are a resident during any part of 2018, you will be treated as a resident through the end of 2018. This applies whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018, and whether you are a resident under the substantial presence test or green card test.




(I should add that I am obviously not looking for legal advice: in any case this paragraph does not apply to me.)






grammaticality




grammaticality






share|improve this question







New contributor




Bruno Le Floch is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







New contributor




Bruno Le Floch is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









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asked 2 hours ago









Bruno Le FlochBruno Le Floch

1162




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New contributor





Bruno Le Floch is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






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Check out our Code of Conduct.













  • This applies if it's true that you have a closer connection...

    – Centaurus
    1 hour ago



















  • This applies if it's true that you have a closer connection...

    – Centaurus
    1 hour ago

















This applies if it's true that you have a closer connection...

– Centaurus
1 hour ago





This applies if it's true that you have a closer connection...

– Centaurus
1 hour ago










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















1














The phrase is saying "whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than you do to the United States". I see no cohesion between whether and than here.






share|improve this answer































    1














    The sentence in question is perfectly grammatical. It follows the following pattern:




    X is applicable whether a comparison is true (you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018).




    This said, there's no relation between whether and than.






    share|improve this answer
























    • The sentence is poorly constructed -- almost designed to confuse. But, yes, it's still "perfectly grammatical".

      – Hot Licks
      22 mins ago



















    0














    In the sentence



    whether



    is used as a function word to indicate an indirect question involving stated or implied alternatives
    (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whether).



    Than



    is not connected with 'whether' but with the comparative form
    closer .






    share|improve this answer































      0














      It's not strange. It's correct. Let's make it easier to digest by putting the subordinate clause first:




      "Whether (or not) you have a closer connection to a foreign country
      than the United States during 2018, this applies to you."




      I added "or not" in parentheses because it is meant but is left implied, which is often the case in English and is the case in this sentence. Maybe this is what's throwing you off, like by mistakenly thinking the "than" is providing the "or" alternative for "whether" that's been omitted, "than" and "or" both being conjunctions.





      share
























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        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes








        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        1














        The phrase is saying "whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than you do to the United States". I see no cohesion between whether and than here.






        share|improve this answer




























          1














          The phrase is saying "whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than you do to the United States". I see no cohesion between whether and than here.






          share|improve this answer


























            1












            1








            1







            The phrase is saying "whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than you do to the United States". I see no cohesion between whether and than here.






            share|improve this answer













            The phrase is saying "whether you have a closer connection to a foreign country than you do to the United States". I see no cohesion between whether and than here.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 1 hour ago









            Jim MackJim Mack

            7,07721832




            7,07721832

























                1














                The sentence in question is perfectly grammatical. It follows the following pattern:




                X is applicable whether a comparison is true (you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018).




                This said, there's no relation between whether and than.






                share|improve this answer
























                • The sentence is poorly constructed -- almost designed to confuse. But, yes, it's still "perfectly grammatical".

                  – Hot Licks
                  22 mins ago
















                1














                The sentence in question is perfectly grammatical. It follows the following pattern:




                X is applicable whether a comparison is true (you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018).




                This said, there's no relation between whether and than.






                share|improve this answer
























                • The sentence is poorly constructed -- almost designed to confuse. But, yes, it's still "perfectly grammatical".

                  – Hot Licks
                  22 mins ago














                1












                1








                1







                The sentence in question is perfectly grammatical. It follows the following pattern:




                X is applicable whether a comparison is true (you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018).




                This said, there's no relation between whether and than.






                share|improve this answer













                The sentence in question is perfectly grammatical. It follows the following pattern:




                X is applicable whether a comparison is true (you have a closer connection to a foreign country than the United States during 2018).




                This said, there's no relation between whether and than.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered 1 hour ago









                Lucian SavaLucian Sava

                13925




                13925













                • The sentence is poorly constructed -- almost designed to confuse. But, yes, it's still "perfectly grammatical".

                  – Hot Licks
                  22 mins ago



















                • The sentence is poorly constructed -- almost designed to confuse. But, yes, it's still "perfectly grammatical".

                  – Hot Licks
                  22 mins ago

















                The sentence is poorly constructed -- almost designed to confuse. But, yes, it's still "perfectly grammatical".

                – Hot Licks
                22 mins ago





                The sentence is poorly constructed -- almost designed to confuse. But, yes, it's still "perfectly grammatical".

                – Hot Licks
                22 mins ago











                0














                In the sentence



                whether



                is used as a function word to indicate an indirect question involving stated or implied alternatives
                (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whether).



                Than



                is not connected with 'whether' but with the comparative form
                closer .






                share|improve this answer




























                  0














                  In the sentence



                  whether



                  is used as a function word to indicate an indirect question involving stated or implied alternatives
                  (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whether).



                  Than



                  is not connected with 'whether' but with the comparative form
                  closer .






                  share|improve this answer


























                    0












                    0








                    0







                    In the sentence



                    whether



                    is used as a function word to indicate an indirect question involving stated or implied alternatives
                    (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whether).



                    Than



                    is not connected with 'whether' but with the comparative form
                    closer .






                    share|improve this answer













                    In the sentence



                    whether



                    is used as a function word to indicate an indirect question involving stated or implied alternatives
                    (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whether).



                    Than



                    is not connected with 'whether' but with the comparative form
                    closer .







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered 1 hour ago









                    user307254user307254

                    4,0102516




                    4,0102516























                        0














                        It's not strange. It's correct. Let's make it easier to digest by putting the subordinate clause first:




                        "Whether (or not) you have a closer connection to a foreign country
                        than the United States during 2018, this applies to you."




                        I added "or not" in parentheses because it is meant but is left implied, which is often the case in English and is the case in this sentence. Maybe this is what's throwing you off, like by mistakenly thinking the "than" is providing the "or" alternative for "whether" that's been omitted, "than" and "or" both being conjunctions.





                        share




























                          0














                          It's not strange. It's correct. Let's make it easier to digest by putting the subordinate clause first:




                          "Whether (or not) you have a closer connection to a foreign country
                          than the United States during 2018, this applies to you."




                          I added "or not" in parentheses because it is meant but is left implied, which is often the case in English and is the case in this sentence. Maybe this is what's throwing you off, like by mistakenly thinking the "than" is providing the "or" alternative for "whether" that's been omitted, "than" and "or" both being conjunctions.





                          share


























                            0












                            0








                            0







                            It's not strange. It's correct. Let's make it easier to digest by putting the subordinate clause first:




                            "Whether (or not) you have a closer connection to a foreign country
                            than the United States during 2018, this applies to you."




                            I added "or not" in parentheses because it is meant but is left implied, which is often the case in English and is the case in this sentence. Maybe this is what's throwing you off, like by mistakenly thinking the "than" is providing the "or" alternative for "whether" that's been omitted, "than" and "or" both being conjunctions.





                            share













                            It's not strange. It's correct. Let's make it easier to digest by putting the subordinate clause first:




                            "Whether (or not) you have a closer connection to a foreign country
                            than the United States during 2018, this applies to you."




                            I added "or not" in parentheses because it is meant but is left implied, which is often the case in English and is the case in this sentence. Maybe this is what's throwing you off, like by mistakenly thinking the "than" is providing the "or" alternative for "whether" that's been omitted, "than" and "or" both being conjunctions.






                            share











                            share


                            share










                            answered 7 mins ago









                            Benjamin HarmanBenjamin Harman

                            5,32431639




                            5,32431639






















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