Sure VS surely

Question

In the following sentence, which is correct, sure, surely or both?Your teachers will ___ help you out.

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

You need an adverb. Does that help you?

Wangqh2696122 · Answer

But sure is also an adverb.

Wangqh2696122 · Answer

BarbaraPAYou need an adverb. Does that help you?

How do you account for the following:
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (2nd edition published 2005),

adverb INFORMAL
certainly:
"Do you want to come swimming with us?" "Sure."
MAINLY US "Will you help me with this?" "Sure I will."
US I sure am hungry.

BarbaraPA · Answer

I was assuming you wanted the standard form, not the one marked as  "informal."

KJinCali79 · Answer

Please see the following usage note (Merriam-Webster):

"Most commentators consider the adverb sure to be something less than completely standard; surely is usually recommended as a substitute. Our current evidence shows, however, that sure and surely have become differentiated in use. Sure is used in much more informal contexts than surely. It is used as a simple intensive, "I can never know how much I bored her, but, be certain, she sure amused me," and, because it connotes strong affirmation, it is used when the speaker or writer expects to be agreed with, "It's a moot point whether politicians are less venal than in Twain's day, but they're sure as the devil more intrusive." Surely, like sure, is used as a simple intensive, "I surely don't want to leave the impression that I had an unhappy childhood," but it occurs in more formal contexts than sure. Unlike sure it may be used neutrally—the reader or hearer may or may not agree..."

surely (adverb)
- in a confident way
- without a doubt
--used in negative statements to show surprise that something could be true.
See also: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/surely

sure (adverb) (Note that it's primary use is in the adjective form, however)
- used to say "yes' or to agree to a request or suggesstion
- used to disagree with a negative statement
-used to emphasize that you agree with first part of the statement that you are about to make.

RandomGuy · Answer

wangqh2696122In the following sentence, which is correct, sure, surely or both?
Your teachers will ___ help you out.

Only surely is natural here.

BarbaraPAI was assuming you wanted the standard form, not the one marked as "informal."

Just because a usage is informal doesn’t mean it’s not standard. Sure in Your teachers sure helped you out, for example, is fine, and actually would be much more likely than surely in most contexts, at least in AmE.

Anonymous · Answer

Surely

Anonymous · Answer

<p>surely</p>

Sure VS surely

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