Thread: Please correct
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Old 06-Mar-2005, 19:07
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Default Re: Please correct

Quote:
Originally Posted by RonBee
I think your English is quite good, but I do have a suggestion. The word hope is always about the future. Thus, you can say I hope we get a native English speaker to come to our house, but you can't say I hope we have a native English speaker at our house. You can't hope you have something. (Even when the sentence in question concerns a past event ("I hope you did well") the word hope is still about the future in that it is about expectations.)


The word hope is always about the future. <<<<

Always? I would say it's also about current or present expectations that are desirable.

We hope they're having a good time. - That means now.

I hope there's some food in the fridge. I'm hungry. - That means "food in the fridge" now.
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(Even when the sentence in question concerns a past event ("I hope you did well") the word hope is still about the future in that it is about expectations.) <<<<

However, the results have already been achieved. It's about one's expectations, but not about whether the expectations are to be fulfilled in the future. One will find out, but the events that produced the result have already taken place - in the past.

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You can't hope you have something. <<<

I hope I have everything with me. - now - not in the future



I hope I didn't forget anything.

Last edited by Steven D; 07-Mar-2005 at 02:38.
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