<![CDATA[Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence:]]>Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence:

Hopefully, the treaty will be ratified.

(I'm going to compare how people feel about this sentence today to an older survey that used the same sentence.)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/35f4dda0-b814-4f02-97e1-9786edc25bb7/would-you-use-hopefully-like-this-in-a-sentenceRSS for NodeFri, 01 May 2026 18:14:14 GMTMon, 06 Apr 2026 15:11:50 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:49:17 GMT]]>@grammargirl no.

If it means anything, it means "the treaty will be ratified in a hopeful manner", and not "we hope the treaty will be ratified" (which is what a sentence like that usually seems to intend).

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cupoftea.social/users/nxskok/statuses/116360436597910262https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cupoftea.social/users/nxskok/statuses/116360436597910262Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:49:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:36:55 GMT]]>@grammargirl added context, I think my hopefully usage is often near the end of a sentence

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://vmst.io/users/User47/statuses/116360387975745569https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://vmst.io/users/User47/statuses/116360387975745569Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:36:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:02:15 GMT]]>@grammargirl I grew up hearing in used in the way I now know is wrong — and try to avoid. It’s not easy to change, though.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zeroes.ca/users/tantramar/statuses/116360251670978820https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zeroes.ca/users/tantramar/statuses/116360251670978820Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:02:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:47:53 GMT]]>@grammargirl Yes, unless I suspected the audience would misinterpret me. I ENJOY using the word that way, because it drove my dad CRAZY.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/outer/statuses/116360195188576843https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/outer/statuses/116360195188576843Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:47:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:43:09 GMT]]>@ramsey @grammargirl For me that would change the meaning, though—I see "hopefully" more like "it is to be hoped that . . . " or "it seems reasonable to hope and cautiously expect that . . . ", I'd say. It's a comment about the appropriateness of hope, not a statement that a particular person is experiencing hope.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/116360176578036727https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/116360176578036727Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:43:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:34:25 GMT]]>@sista_ray @grammargirl "Hopefully" *could* theoretically be interpreted as referring to the treaty itself, but I don't find that a natural way of reading it.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/116360142217989246https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/116360142217989246Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:34:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:30:12 GMT]]>@sista_ray @grammargirl The objections make no sense to me. It seems no different from "fortunately", "apparently", "oddly", "obviously", "unusually", etc. I don't think anyone would interpret "Fortunately, the treaty was ratified" as saying the treaty experienced good fortune, for example. The adverb obviously applies to the situation expressed by the whole clause, not just to one element within it.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/116360125619239770https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/116360125619239770Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:30:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:22:03 GMT]]>@grammargirl

"I hope the treaty will be ratified."

Beginning with hopefully (somewhat) separates the speaker from the wish, as if they want to hedge their bet.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.art/users/Algot/statuses/116360093601043112https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.art/users/Algot/statuses/116360093601043112Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:22:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:05:14 GMT]]>@grammargirl As a teenager, I went through a phase of replacing “hopefully” with “sperably” in my writing (note that I was studying Latin at the time); but I could never bring myself to use it in speech, and eventually I dropped it in writing as well.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://lingo.lol/users/skalyan/statuses/116360027497011389https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://lingo.lol/users/skalyan/statuses/116360027497011389Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:05:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:03:30 GMT]]>@grammargirl Strangely, I would! Interestingly, that would not mean I was using it strangely. Fortunately. Oddly, some people object to it.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/116360020667310538https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/116360020667310538Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:03:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:38:18 GMT]]>@grammargirl I learned this as incorrect, and I avoid using it in writing, but I know I use it in casual conversation.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.linux.pizza/users/toddz/statuses/116359921595446291https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.linux.pizza/users/toddz/statuses/116359921595446291Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:38:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:22:12 GMT]]>@grammargirl yes, with the headcanon that "Hopefully" is an absolute of the "ablative/genitive/nominative/locative absolute" family.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.online/users/jonas_trostle/statuses/116359858274883862https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.online/users/jonas_trostle/statuses/116359858274883862Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:22:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:46:18 GMT]]>@grammargirl it’s good enough for Merriam to write a note about it and the reference links from Wikipedia are fun.

I say this as a born again disjuncter. I was one of those insufferable purists but as I’ve grown, I’ve started to enjoy the flourish and clarity that bastardisation of “official” language can bring. Now I bastardise with gleeful abandon.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/nikolaihampton/statuses/116359717117045678https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/nikolaihampton/statuses/116359717117045678Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:46:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:09:06 GMT]]>@ClimateJenny @overholt But yes, anyone who follows "Grammar Girl" is likely to be on the prescriptive side, and I always try to remember that.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zirk.us/users/grammargirl/statuses/116359570846835665https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zirk.us/users/grammargirl/statuses/116359570846835665Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:09:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:08:32 GMT]]>@jessesheidlower Definitely. Still, I ask questions like this intermittently, and the reaction to this seems stronger than to some other questions. No matter what, much, much stronger than I expected.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zirk.us/users/grammargirl/statuses/116359568572473766https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zirk.us/users/grammargirl/statuses/116359568572473766Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:08:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:07:40 GMT]]>@overholt @grammargirl I tend toward the rigid side of language disputes, but I gave up on “hopefully” when the AP Stylebook did. Languages change.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://biodiversity.social/users/ClimateJenny/statuses/116359565181892805https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://biodiversity.social/users/ClimateJenny/statuses/116359565181892805Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:07:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:07:29 GMT]]>@jessesheidlower I'm kind of trying to recreate the most recent survey Garner said he did, but I'm using the sentence from AHD surveys and tried to frame it in a less leading way than Garner.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zirk.us/users/grammargirl/statuses/116359564473279447https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zirk.us/users/grammargirl/statuses/116359564473279447Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:07:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:07:27 GMT]]>@grammargirl
The people who respond to such queries, or who complain to news organizations about the purported misuse of shibboleths, are a very, very, very tiny proportion of language users.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/jessesheidlower/statuses/116359564328233707https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/jessesheidlower/statuses/116359564328233707Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:07:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:05:57 GMT]]>@jessesheidlower That's what I had expected to find!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zirk.us/users/grammargirl/statuses/116359558415022425https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zirk.us/users/grammargirl/statuses/116359558415022425Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:05:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:48:03 GMT]]>@grammargirl
As I regularly report, when I ask my students about this (Ivy-League graduate writing students), for the last several years not a single one has even been aware of a "hopefully" controversy, let alone had an opinion on it.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/jessesheidlower/statuses/116359488051567420https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/jessesheidlower/statuses/116359488051567420Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:48:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:47:39 GMT]]>@grammargirl I think it would depend on the context though. I don't think I'd use it like that in anything remotely formal. But a post here, or maybe on my blog, sure.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/SamUpstate/statuses/116359486460838334https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/SamUpstate/statuses/116359486460838334Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:47:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:43:19 GMT]]>@overholt That's what I thought (and hoped) too, but the comments across three networks are proving me wrong.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zirk.us/users/grammargirl/statuses/116359469449974462https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://zirk.us/users/grammargirl/statuses/116359469449974462Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:43:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:34:35 GMT]]>@grammargirl
If you really want to keep the word and the comma then I'd be the reader scanning for context to understand what you mean, unless you'd add a few words. For example, Hopefully, I'm predicting the treaty will be ratified. That way, I'm understanding who it is who is feeling the hope.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.vivaldi.net/users/MossyQuartz/statuses/116359435091590445https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.vivaldi.net/users/MossyQuartz/statuses/116359435091590445Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:34:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence: on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:27:58 GMT]]>@grammargirl
If the treaty is feeling hopeful at the time of the ratification then it is correctly written; however, this should more likely be restated to clarify why the inanimate object is experiencing emotion. The parties to the thing might hopefully enter into an agreement.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.vivaldi.net/users/MossyQuartz/statuses/116359409067749964https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.vivaldi.net/users/MossyQuartz/statuses/116359409067749964Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:27:58 GMT