HOPEFULLY IN A SENTENCE MANUAL

HOPEFULLY IN A SENTENCE MANUAL

Sign up for a 30-day free trial of The Chicago Manual of Style Online. One sentence adverb that is popularly considered ungrammatical is hopefully:Īlthough hopefully is just as grammatical as other sentence adverbs, it can cause problems if the context is ambiguous, in which case it’s best to rephrase: Some common examples are maybe, possibly, and however. A new section in CMOS 17 (5.157) explains that adverbs that modify a clause (or sentence) are called sentence adverbs. Sentence adverbs most commonly indicate doubt or emphasize a statement’s certainty. The 16th edition of CMOS noted that adverbs can qualify a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a preposition, a conjunction, or a clause. This week, we take a look at sentence adverbs. Dias is the research editor of Editors Only.The 17th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style will arrive any day now! We’ve been looking at some of the changes and new material in the new edition. However, Grammar Girl and some of her more modern contemporaries certainly make a compelling argument. I suspect that for most editors - myself included - the instinct will be toward carrying the torch of tradition. Do we adhere to tradition or change with the times? Though the original meaning of 'hopefully' is clear, why can't it function as a sentence adverb? This is certainly not the first instance of grammatical microevolution that has faced staunch opposition from traditionalists. Still, other grammarians shun 'hopefully' as a sentence adverb altogether, citing the word's original meaning. According to the supposed problem with hopefully, what this sentence means is that she will come through the doors with a firm expression of conviction on. For example: 'Hopefully, James will arrive on time.' Does this mean that a hopeful James will arrive on time, or that the speaker is hopeful that he will arrive on time? Mignon Fogarty, known online as 'Grammar Girl,' weighed in on this issue in a 2007 podcast: 'In most cases, the meaning is clear, especially when the sentence isn't about a person.' She advises against using 'hopefully' as a sentence adverb in sentences that involve a person (like the example above) to avoid confusion. So why the controversy? Some grammarians fear that 'hopefully' as a sentence adverb can obfuscate the meaning of a sentence. Many are reluctant to accept 'hopefully' in this context. Few adverbs have faced as much scrutiny as 'hopefully.' Traditionally, the word means 'in a hopeful manner' however, it is used often in informal writing to denote the speaker's hopefulness about a given matter. We see adverbs like 'obviously,' 'technically,' and 'actually' function quite often in this capacity. Hence we may look hopefully to the future. Bill waited hopefully for him to explain. If he is eventually released, Noury will be expelled from Sweden.

Many adjectives morph into sentence adverbs without controversy. Hopefully In A Sentence Short & Simple Example Sentence For Hopefully Hopefully Sentence Sliver hopefully repeated. A life sentence in Sweden generally means a minimum of 20 to 25 years in prison, but it could be extended. What you have just witnessed is a sentence adverb infusing an otherwise straightforward sentence with new subtext. However, the use of 'fortunately' suggests that the speaker likes coconut scents. So is one side correct and the other wrong? And what are sentence adverbs, anyway?Ī sentence adverb, according to grammar and composition guide Richard Nordquist, is 'a word that modifies a sentence as a whole or a clause within a sentence.' For example, consider this sentence: 'Fortunately, the shampoo had a coconut scent.' Without the sentence adverb, this would be a simple description of the shampoo's scent. In one camp are the traditional grammarians, who advise against using 'hopefully' as a sentence adverb in the other camp are the modern grammarians, who assert that 'hopefully' can function in such a capacity. You have likely encountered the 'hopefully' debate in your editorial travels. Ideally, this article will shed some light on the subject.

Hopefully in a sentence