[General] I hope things go well with you.

[Silverobama]

Hi.

This question has already been asked in Wordreference.

I ask it again because I didn't get the answer I want. I usually ask simple questions there to save teachers' time here.

Context: I haven't chatted with a friend for a long time and I talked with her last night.

S: Hi, Ann. How have you been?
A: Good, and you?
S: I'm very well. I hope things go well with you. I went to a mountain resort last week and I am having fun here right now.
A: …...

My two questions are "Is the italic sentence natural?" and "Must I use it at the end of the conversation?" I usually use it at the beginning of my conversations.

 

[emsr2d2]

No, it's not natural. Saying "I hope things go well ..." refers to the future. You need "I hope things are going well with you". You can use it anywhere you like. I don't really see the need for both "How have you been?" and "I hope things are going well with you?" The standard "How are you?" or "What have you been up to then?" would probably, in a natural phone conversation, elicit responses that cover past, present and future.