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A reader, Napoleon C., asked me the following question point-blank
the other week: “I’m not so sure which of these two sentences is
grammatically right: ‘I hope that you would get well soon!’ ‘I
hope you will get well soon!’ Please tell me.”
Here’s my reply to Napoleon:
The first sentence is grammatically correct:
“I hope that you would get well soon!” This sentence has the
pattern “subject + operative verb + the relative pronoun
‘that’ + noun clause,” and the combination of “that” and
the noun clause (“you would get well soon”) is what’s known as
a relative noun clause. Normally, relative noun clauses that follow
operative verbs like “hope” require the modal auxiliary
“would” rather than “will” for their verb. This is to
indicate that the outcome of the action is uncertain or
conditional—it is desired but is not sure to happen or take place.
In the same token, therefore, if we replace
“hope” in that sentence with a similar verb of uncertainty like
“wish,” “expect,” or “pray,” we would also need to use
“would” in the relative clause: “I wish that you would get
well soon!” “I expect that you would get well soon!” “I pray
that you would get well soon!”
In contrast, when the operative verb expresses
certainty in the expected outcome, the relative noun clause should
use the auxiliary verb “will”: “I am sure that you will get
well soon!” “I am positive that you will get well soon!” “I
am certain that you will get well soon!”
Now, Napoleon’s second sentence, “I hope you
will get well soon!” is actually an elliptical form of the
sentence “I hope that you will get well soon!” Recall now that
in English grammar, an elliptical sentence is one that lacks a
grammar element, but it’s easy to infer that element from the
logic or pattern of the sentence. In this particular case, the
elliptical construction drops the conjunction “that” for brevity
and ease of articulation, but this doesn’t change the modal
character of the expected outcome to outright certainty.
Thus, the elliptical form of the sentence would
still require the modal auxiliary “would” to indicate that
uncertainty: “I hope you would get well soon!” Similarly, for
the verbs “wish,” “expect,” and “pray,” we should also
use the modal “would” when we make the sentences elliptical:
“I wish you would get well soon!” “I expect you would get well
soon!” “I pray you would get well soon!”
Napoleon’s question having been answered,
though, we must now clearly distinguish this use of “would” from
its two other major uses: (1) as the past tense of “will” in
indirect speech, and (2) as a softer form of “will” when
expressing polite offers or requests.
Remember now that when the “reporting verb”
in indirect or reported speech is in the past tense, the verb in the
main clause generally gets “backshifted” or takes one step back
in tense. Assume that a male official has made the following direct
remark: “I will cancel their franchise because of their blatant
abuses.” In reported speech, the auxiliary verb “will” gets
backshifted to the past tense “would”: He said he would cancel
their franchise because of their blatant abuses.”
A major exception to this backshifting is when
the reporting verb is itself in the modal form. Take this direct
remark: “I would like to cancel their franchise outright.”
There’s no backshifting in the reported speech for it: “He said
he would like to cancel their franchise outright.”
When making an offer or request in polite
society, of course, the socially graceful thing to do is to use
“would” instead of “will.” We don’t ask, “Will you like
to have dinner now?” and we don’t say, “I will like some quiet
here, please.” Instead, we ask, “Would you like to have dinner
now?” and say, “I would like some quiet here, please.”
j8carillo@yahoo.com
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