describe whether

USAGE SUMMARY

"describe whether" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it to ask someone to explain the state of something, or to state whether something is true or false. For example: Please describe whether the new product is successful or not.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

For each mutation, UMS calculates an unfolding propensity, derived from the Gibbs free energy equation, to describe whether the mutation will lead to protein misfolding.

Nature

Cohen was asked to describe whether the president gave any orders during a May 2017 meeting held the day after special counsel Robert S. Mueller III was appointed.

The Washington Post

This data ranks more than 180 countries and assigns each a label to describe whether its exposure to water stress is low, medium, high or extreme.

The Guardian

They asked 17,000 mostly white, mostly upscale patients enrolled in a Kaiser H.M.O. to describe whether they had experienced any of 10 categories of childhood trauma.

The New York Times

To describe whether negative affect and sleep impairment are associated with the clinical effect of epidural steroid injections (ESIs) for low back pain.

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Here we describe whether diagnostic research is validated, which technique is used, and to what extent the validation study results differ from the original.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

To describe whether body mass index (BMI) is a clinically meaningful predictor of patient reported outcomes following primary total hip replacement (THR) surgery.

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

At each of the events (NGE, DP, Street Entry) the film was paused and participants were asked to describe whether they remembered planning or thinking about their future route.

Nature

RESULTS: The majority of studies did not describe whether patients presented with asymptomatic masses detected through screening or with symptoms.

Duke University

The study did not describe whether other coding schemes were considered and whether these different approaches would yield different ratings.

Large-scale Assessments in Education

In decoding the mixed signals using SIC, we define an event to describe whether a specific message can be successfully recovered.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "describe whether", ensure the context clearly defines the two possible states or conditions you are asking about to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid embedding "describe whether" within overly complex sentence structures. Keep the question direct and easy to understand to ensure clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "describe whether" functions as an introductory phrase in questions or statements aiming to elicit information about a condition or state. As indicated by Ludwig AI, it's a grammatically sound and valid construct for inquiring about facts or circumstances.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

64%

News & Media

24%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "describe whether" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to inquire about a specific condition or state. As Ludwig AI confirms, it serves as a valid introductory phrase to elicit detailed information. Predominantly found in scientific and news contexts, it seeks to prompt a clear explanation concerning a situation. For effective usage, ensure clarity in defining the conditions being inquired about. Alternatives like "indicate if" or "determine if" can be used based on the specific context. By avoiding overly complex sentence structures and understanding its core function, writers can employ "describe whether" effectively in their communications.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

indicate if

Focuses on showing or pointing out a particular fact or condition.

specify if

Emphasizes providing detailed information to clarify a particular aspect.

determine if

Stresses the process of finding out definitively whether something is the case.

ascertain whether

Highlights the effort to discover something with certainty.

explain if

Shifts the focus to providing a reason or cause, not just identifying a state.

clarify whether

Points to making something easier to understand by removing ambiguity.

state if

Implies a formal or official declaration of a fact.

detail if

Focuses on giving a comprehensive account.

outline if

Suggests presenting a summary of key points.

report whether

Implies conveying information, often as part of an official investigation or assessment.

FAQs

How can I use "describe whether" in a sentence?

Use "describe whether" to inquire about the state of something or to determine if a particular condition is true or false. For example, "Can you "describe whether" the experiment was successful?"

What can I say instead of "describe whether"?

You can use alternatives like "indicate if", "specify if", or "determine if" depending on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to use "describe whether or not"?

While not strictly incorrect, including "or not" after ""describe whether"" can sometimes be redundant. The "whether" already implies two possibilities, so "describe whether" usually suffices.

How does "describe whether" differ from "explain why"?

"Describe whether" asks for a statement of fact or condition, whereas "explain why" seeks the reasons or causes behind something. For example, "Describe whether the machine is working" versus "Explain why the machine is not working".