Question

All people,whether they are old or young,rich or poor,have been trying their best tohelp these...

whether they are old or young...为何属于状语从句不是定语从句或其他？

Answer 1

这里 whether 从句是同位语从句，对主语people 做进一步说明。

Whether the result is favorable or not, you should speak the truth.这个句子里whether 从句是条件状语从句。
whether用于表语从句：The question is whether we can finish our work by tomorrow evening.
whether用于宾语从句: It all depends on whether we can get their cooperation.
whether用于主语从句: Whether I knew John doesn't matter .
状语从句是修饰谓语的句子，定语从句是起修饰限制作用的，可以用来修饰主语，定语，宾语或表语；宾语从句是作介词或动词的宾语的。