Would you use "hopefully" like this in a sentence:
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@grammargirl I answered “yes,” but I hate it.
In less conversational writing, I’d probably reword it to say “I hope the treaty will be ratified” because saying “I am hopeful the treaty will be ratified” just makes you sound like an awkward pedant.
@ramsey @grammargirl As a general rule I try to avoid unnecessary commas in formal writing. But my issue here is not with the comma, but with the word "hopefully" which implies lack of confidence in the negotiations.
Regardless of the context, I'd probably say we *expect* the treaty to be ratified.
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@ramsey @grammargirl As a general rule I try to avoid unnecessary commas in formal writing. But my issue here is not with the comma, but with the word "hopefully" which implies lack of confidence in the negotiations.
Regardless of the context, I'd probably say we *expect* the treaty to be ratified.
@ApostateEnglishman @grammargirl I took it to be more about the use of the adverb and less about the content of the statement, but you’re right—it does give the impression that one is not very confident in the outcome.
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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.)
@grammargirl Yes but I question the comma. When I say it out loud there’s no pause there.
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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.)
@grammargirl Even though I know it's wrong, I'm going to use it, because it sounds a lot better than something like "It is to be hoped that the treaty will be ratified."
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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.)
@grammargirl Depending on the context, I would likely state it as, "I hope the treaty will be ratified."
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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.)
@grammargirl I’d avoid it because of the risk of misreading.
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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.)
@grammargirl if we mean it will be signed in a hopeful manner than “The treaty will be signed with feelings of great hope for … “ would have more impact.
If it’s hoped they’ll sign it, then why not say who hopes it?
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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.)
@grammargirl I tend to write like a speak, part of editing is "fixing" that loose narrative flow to being something people want to consume, perhaps.
At this point though, I'd settle for anything that is purely and solely written by flesh and blood humans.
It can feel like I'm constantly talking to humans via LLM middleman.
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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.)
@grammargirl I'd use it, even though I'm pretty sure it's not right (the treaty, after all, is not hopeful).
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@ApostateEnglishman @grammargirl I took it to be more about the use of the adverb and less about the content of the statement, but you’re right—it does give the impression that one is not very confident in the outcome.
@ramsey @grammargirl Yeah, my creative writing was improved when I read that Stephen King almost never uses adverbs - one of the tricks behind his captivating prose style. He even said that "the road to Hell is paved with adverbs."
Once you get into the habit of avoiding them, writing that uses them a lot ("Especially in dialogue attribution," added Martin wearily) becomes...jarring.
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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.)
@grammargirl That feels like a pedantry battle no one’s fighting anymore. It felt very old fashioned to me the first time I read it (Strunk & White?) decades ago.
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@grammargirl That feels like a pedantry battle no one’s fighting anymore. It felt very old fashioned to me the first time I read it (Strunk & White?) decades ago.
@overholt @grammargirl precisely, I was raised on Strunk and White, and it has taken me a long time to undo their rote strictures. I prefer now to write as I naturally speak, which honestly still comes across as stuffy. But yes I will use “hopefully” that way.
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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.)
@grammargirl "The treaty will hopefully be ratified" or "the treaty will be hopefully ratified"? Best to avoid the ambiguity if the intent isn't clear from the context.
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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.)
I know of the objections to this use of hopefully but I don't care. It feels natural to me. And I've just realised that German has "hoffentlich" for this use case and does not need to say "hoffnungsvoll" - possibly a word that English lost at some point?
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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.)
@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. -
@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.@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. -
@grammargirl That feels like a pedantry battle no one’s fighting anymore. It felt very old fashioned to me the first time I read it (Strunk & White?) decades ago.
@overholt That's what I thought (and hoped) too, but the comments across three networks are proving me wrong.
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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.)
@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.
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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.)
@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. -
@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.@jessesheidlower That's what I had expected to find!
