Page:The king's English (IA kingsenglish00fowlrich).pdf/174
She found herself wondering at the breath she drew, doubting that another would follow.—Meredith.
I am afraid that you will become so afraid of men's motives as to doubt that any one can be honest.—Trollope.
The mistake commonly made is to use 'that' for 'whether' in violation of 1. 'Whether' is seldom used in place of 'that', and apparent violations of 2. often prove to be legitimate exceptions of the 'vivid' kind. Some of our examples may suggest that when the dependent clause is placed before the verb, 'that' appears because the writer had not decided what verb of doubt or denial to use. This is probably the true explanation of many incorrect thats, but is not a sufficient defence. It supplies, on the contrary, an additional reason for adhering to 'whether': the reader is either actually misled or at any rate kept in needless suspense as to what is going to be said, because the writer did not make up his mind at the right time how to say it. 'Whether' at the beginning at once proclaims an open question: after 'that' we expect (or ought to expect) 'I have no reason to doubt'.
In all the following, 'whether' should have been used.
There is nothing for it but to doubt such diseases exist.—H. G. Wells.
'Whether' is never suppressed.
I do not think it would have pleased Mr. Thackeray; and to doubt that he would have wished to see it carried out determines my view of the matter.—Greenwood.
That the movement is as purely industrial as the leaders of the strike claim may be doubted.—Times.
And I must be allowed to doubt that there is any class who deliberately omit...—Times.
He may doubt that his policy will be any more popular in England a year or two hence than it is now.—Greenwood.
I doubt the correctness of the assertion...I doubt, I say, that Becky would have selected either of these young men.—Thackeray.
But that his army, if it retreats, will carry with it all its guns...we are inclined to doubt.—Times.
It was generally doubted that France would permit the use of her port.—Times.