Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

direct report

indirect report

‘Will you work as a co-editor with us?’

They asked me 

if I would work as a co-editor

with them.

‘Will you be able to do it?’

I asked him 

whether he would be able to do it. 

‘Should I come over in the near future?’

Jules just phoned me wondering 

whether she

should come over in the near future. 

(possible question that was never asked)

I’m glad they didn’t ask me 

if I wanted to stay 

‘Do you want to stay overnight?’

overnight. 

Whether

is preferred when or not immediately follows:

Yeah, but they haven’t stated 

whether or not it will be accepted. 

(preferred to: … stated if or not)

However, when or not comes at the end, either if or whether can be used:

She asked 

if/whether we had registered or not.

In informal spoken style, a direct interrogative clause may occur instead of

if/whether

:

[speaker is talking of an experience while staying in hospital] 

You know the sweetener, I asked one of the cleaners 

could she get me

something because it was on a very bad day and she had to ring down for

permission for somebody else to get one.

At what point should we ask 

have they got any rooms?