hopefully

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar
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My notion:
-I hope I can
-I wish I could

while
-I hope I could
-I wish I can

are definitely wrong.

1. Is my notion correct?

2.If yes, can I say this?:

-In the meeting/dinner held next week, hopefully the government/the committee members/the public could (NOT CAN)work out something in between.

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Type: Question • Score: 3 • Views: 1,606 • Replies: 29

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@WBYeats,

You could write "I would hope," or "one would hope"--but there is nothing wrong with using hopefully. If someone told you there is, they are full of rotting beans.

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@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

You could write "I would hope," or "one would hope"--but there is nothing wrong with using hopefully. If someone told you there is, they are full of rotting beans.

I believe I perceive a difference between arriving hopefully, and, hopefully, arriving.

1 Reply

@contrex,

Leave it to the Prick in Chief to find a way to contort the use lf hopefully so as to object to it.

Marilyn fell from her bicycle near the finish line. Emergency medical personnel carefully laid her on a stretcher to carry her to the first aid tent. Behind them, cyclist crossing the finish line joyfully celebrated the conclusion of the long and grueling race. Hopefully, Marilyn will soon be in a condition to join them.

Using adverbs in English in this way is common. Being able to imagine a ridiculous usage of any one of them is not evidence that they should not be so used.

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@WBYeats,

WB my apologies to S. but this time, technically anyhow, he's wrong. Used here, our old grammatical system insists it's not us but the Government or its committee members who are hopeful

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

That's bullshit, the hope centers on the action of the government.

1 Reply

Thank you, C, S, and D.

Setan thinks if the government etc. is the party that hopes, COULD can be used; but my question was, if HOPEFULLY is used to convey the hope of the speaker, whether it is possible to use COULD...

1 Reply

@Setanta,

Quote:

That's bullshit

surprise!

(not)

0 Replies

@Setanta,

Quote:

Leave it to the Prick in Chief to find a way to contort the use lf hopefully so as to object to it.

Careful there. "Hopefully" is widely and often wrongly used in general nowadays.

It doesn't mean "I hope".

1 Reply

@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

Leave it to the Prick in Chief to find a way to contort the use lf hopefully so as to object to it

I wasn't "objecting" to it. I was merely pointing out that word order and punctuation are important.

Sadly, John died.
John sadly died.

Concerning "hopefully" and "thankfully", I do note that Oxford Dictionaries says:

...you should be aware that some people strongly object to the use of hopefully and thankfully as sentence adverbs. In view of this, it’s a good idea to be cautious about using them in formal writing such as job applications just in case your reader happens to be one of those people.

I am not one of those people. I don't need historical justification, but if I did, I would recall that "hopefully" as a sentential adverb has been tracked back to 1702 so far.

Quote:

Using adverbs in English in this way is common. Being able to imagine a ridiculous usage of any one of them is not evidence that they should not be so used.

No it isn't, but examples of common misuse are instructive.

1 Reply

@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

the Prick in Chief

If that means "most important penis", then it could be construed as something of a compliment, and/or evidence of a Freudian sort of envy. Or -- rather disquietingly -- a sort of perverted worship. If I ever meet Setanta, I shall keep my back against the wall at all times.

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@McTag,

Quote:

Careful there. "Hopefully" is widely and often wrongly used in general nowadays. It doesn't mean "I hope".

Thanks Mac that was my understanding too, tho the rules don't seem to matter much anymore

0 Replies

So are the two interchangeble?

-Hopefully(=I hope), next week we can/could have a constructive meeting.

2 Replies

@WBYeats,

Jeeze, what a maroon. You were the idiot claiming that the government is "the party that hopes," not me. You don't even get a "nice try" for that lame attempt at evasion.

0 Replies

@WBYeats,

Sometimes.

0 Replies

@WBYeats,

Quote:

So are the two interchangeble? -Hopefully(=I hope), next week we can/could have a constructive meeting.

Yea WB that's the way it's misused these days = I or we hope, or it's hoped

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

dalehileman wrote:

that's the way it's misused these days

It has been "misused" in that way for over 300 years.

2 Replies

@contrex,

Yeah well okay you're probably right.

These old people were really stupid, weren't they?

Wink

Hopefully that clears this one up.

0 Replies

@contrex,

dalehileman wrote:
that's the way it's misused these days

Quote:

It has been "misused" in that way for over 300 years.

When you're 83, Con, 300 years is more than ever like these days

Though hereabout I don't remember it misused so much until just recently

(To me, the last few decades)

0 Replies

@contrex,

That Oxford is a right pice of ****, isn't it?

0 Replies

hopefully

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