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George
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| Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 2:22 pm
Post subject: wish and hope |
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I often confuse the two and don't know of how to distinguish them.
For example, considering the following sentences:
I hope I can win the lottery. (or, I hope to win the lottery.)
I wish I could win the lottery. (or, I wish to win the lottery.)
any comment?
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Michael DeBusk
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 11:50 pm
Post subject: Re: wish and hope |
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On 12 Sep 2004 01:22:57 -0700, George <latenightkimo@yahoo.com.tw> wrote:
| Quote: | I often confuse the two and don't know of how to distinguish them.
For example, considering the following sentences:
I hope I can win the lottery. (or, I hope to win the lottery.)
I wish I could win the lottery. (or, I wish to win the lottery.)
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The fact that the two example sentences above are not otherwise
identical indicates that, to you, there is some difference and you know
on some level what it is and how to use it. You used "can" with "hope"
and "could" with "wish". That leads me to believe that that for which
you hope is more likely to happen than that for which you wish.
--
Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place
Did he update http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/ yet? |
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George
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:59 am
Post subject: Re: wish and hope |
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Can both sentences be true?
Michael DeBusk <m_debusk@despammed.com> wrote in message news:<2001d.24159$Wv5.22594@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>...
| Quote: | On 12 Sep 2004 01:22:57 -0700, George <latenightkimo@yahoo.com.tw> wrote:
I often confuse the two and don't know of how to distinguish them.
For example, considering the following sentences:
I hope I can win the lottery. (or, I hope to win the lottery.)
I wish I could win the lottery. (or, I wish to win the lottery.)
The fact that the two example sentences above are not otherwise
identical indicates that, to you, there is some difference and you know
on some level what it is and how to use it. You used "can" with "hope"
and "could" with "wish". That leads me to believe that that for which
you hope is more likely to happen than that for which you wish. |
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Michael DeBusk
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 2:47 pm
Post subject: Re: wish and hope |
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On 14 Sep 2004 17:59:58 -0700, George <latenightkimo@yahoo.com.tw> wrote:
| Quote: | Can both sentences be true?
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As if to say, "I wish I could and I hope I can"?
I can't seem to think of a way to make that work operationally.
There are finer minds at work here than mine, though.
--
Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place
Did he update http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/ yet? |
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George
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 2:13 pm
Post subject: Re: wish and hope |
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no, I mean the two examples sentences in the first post...
Michael DeBusk <m_debusk@despammed.com> wrote in message news:<kkT1d.2081$n16.1215@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net>...
| Quote: | On 14 Sep 2004 17:59:58 -0700, George <latenightkimo@yahoo.com.tw> wrote:
Can both sentences be true?
As if to say, "I wish I could and I hope I can"?
I can't seem to think of a way to make that work operationally.
There are finer minds at work here than mine, though. |
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Sean O'Leathlobhair
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:24 pm
Post subject: Re: wish and hope |
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latenightkimo@yahoo.com.tw (George) wrote in message news:<fc71294c.0409120022.678105ae@posting.google.com>...
| Quote: | I often confuse the two and don't know of how to distinguish them.
For example, considering the following sentences:
I hope I can win the lottery. (or, I hope to win the lottery.)
I wish I could win the lottery. (or, I wish to win the lottery.)
any comment?
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I have thought about this a few times since some of my friends who are
not native speakers use "hope" and "wish" in ways that seem odd to me.
I use "hope" if the desire was possible. It does not need to be
likely, in fact it can be very unlikely. So provided that I had
bought a ticket, I may say: "I hope that I win the lottery". Note
that I have omitted the "can", it sounds better to me that way.
I use "wish" if the desire is impossible e.g. "I wish that I could fly
unaided". This possibility test means that "wish" is required for
anything in the past. "I wish that I had bought a lottery ticket
yesterday". It was possible then but it is not anymore.
There may be more to the choice but, for me at least, the possibility
of the desire is important.
Seán O'Leathlóbhair
(A native speaker but not an expert, not to be confused with John
Lawler) |
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Michael DeBusk
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 12:12 pm
Post subject: Re: wish and hope |
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On 16 Sep 2004 01:13:24 -0700, George <latenightkimo@yahoo.com.tw> wrote:
| Quote: | no, I mean the two examples sentences in the first post...
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There were four example sentences, but the first two were almost
identical and the last two were almost identical. I'm going to guess
that you meant one and three, or two and four.
You're asking, unless I'm misunderstanding you, if both "I wish x" and
"I hope x" can be true at the same time. I'll offer that, the way I use
the words,a nd the way you seem to me to be using them, I don't think
so. That is not to say that nobody can do it.
--
Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place
Did he update http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/ yet? |
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cljlk
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 6:33 am
Post subject: Re: wish and hope |
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latenightkimo@yahoo.com.tw (George) wrote in message news:<fc71294c.0409120022.678105ae@posting.google.com>...
| Quote: | I often confuse the two and don't know of how to distinguish them.
For example, considering the following sentences:
I hope I can win the lottery. (or, I hope to win the lottery.)
I am looking forward winning the lottery. It is possible that I can win the |
lottery.
| Quote: | I wish I could win the lottery. (or, I wish to win the lottery.)
I don't hope to win the lottery, I know that unlikely you will win the lottery. |
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meirman
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:56 am
Post subject: Re: wish and hope |
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In alt.english.usage on 18 Sep 2004 17:33:09 -0700 cljlk@hotmail.com
(cljlk) posted:
| Quote: | latenightkimo@yahoo.com.tw (George) wrote in message news:<fc71294c.0409120022.678105ae@posting.google.com>...
I often confuse the two and don't know of how to distinguish them.
For example, considering the following sentences:
I hope I can win the lottery. (or, I hope to win the lottery.)
I am looking forward winning the lottery. It is possible that I can win the
lottery.
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True. There is also, I wish I would win the lottery, which means
pretty much the same as these.
| Quote: |
I wish I could win the lottery. (or, I wish to win the lottery.)
I don't hope to win the lottery, I know that unlikely you will win the lottery.
any comment?
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s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 20 years |
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George
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2004 9:35 am
Post subject: Re: wish and hope |
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could you compare the two:
I wish to have a trip with someone who love me.
I hope to have a trip with someone who love me.
cljlk@hotmail.com (cljlk) wrote in message news:<de74637.0409181633.365efb3a@posting.google.com>...
| Quote: | latenightkimo@yahoo.com.tw (George) wrote in message news:<fc71294c.0409120022.678105ae@posting.google.com>...
I often confuse the two and don't know of how to distinguish them.
For example, considering the following sentences:
I hope I can win the lottery. (or, I hope to win the lottery.)
I am looking forward winning the lottery. It is possible that I can win the
lottery.
I wish I could win the lottery. (or, I wish to win the lottery.)
I don't hope to win the lottery, I know that unlikely you will win the lottery.
any comment? |
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