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Silena Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary
The meaning of ''hardly''
Hello!
I'm not sure about the meaning of "hardly'' and consequently its correct use in sentences.
So, can we say: I hardly found a seat in the bus ? Or it is better to say I could hardly find a seat ?
And...one more option: Should I avoid using hardly and write instead : I found a seat with great diffulty. (the point is that I want to say that I eventually found the seat despite the difficulty)
Thanks in advance!
I'm not sure about the meaning of "hardly'' and consequently its correct use in sentences.
So, can we say: I hardly found a seat in the bus ? Or it is better to say I could hardly find a seat ?
And...one more option: Should I avoid using hardly and write instead : I found a seat with great diffulty. (the point is that I want to say that I eventually found the seat despite the difficulty)
Thanks in advance!
Top answer
Hi. Hardly is an adverb of frequency and it should be used in present simple tenses. You cannot use it to desribe a specific situation.
- Hi.
- Hardly is an adverb of frequency and it should be used in present simple tenses.
- You cannot use it to desribe a specific situation.
- Hardly means almost not and it is used for describing habits.
- Ex.
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5 Answers
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Hi.
Hardly is an adverb of frequency and it should be used in present simple tenses. You cannot use it to desribe a specific situation. Hardly means almost not and it is used for describing habits.
Ex. I hardly wake up early on Sunday mornings.
Regards
Hardly is an adverb of frequency and it should be used in present simple tenses. You cannot use it to desribe a specific situation. Hardly means almost not and it is used for describing habits.
Ex. I hardly wake up early on Sunday mornings.
Regards
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Hi, hrsanei and thanks for your answer. Are you sure that it can only be used with present tenses? I doubt it, cause, as you said, it is used to describe habits. Therefore, if we wish to describe a past habit we will use a past tense. For example: When I was a college student, I could hardly find a place to seat in the crowded amfitheatre. You also said that it cannot be used to describe a specifi
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Hi.
You are right, we can use hardly in other occasions too. Hardly ever is an adverb of frequency and hardly is an intensifier.
I am still uncomfortable with the idea of using hardly and meaning with great difficlty.
Let me clarify my stance again.
Hard is an adjective, it has two adverbs with difference in meaning. Hard and hardly are both adver
You are right, we can use hardly in other occasions too. Hardly ever is an adverb of frequency and hardly is an intensifier.
I am still uncomfortable with the idea of using hardly and meaning with great difficlty.
Let me clarify my stance again.
Hard is an adjective, it has two adverbs with difference in meaning. Hard and hardly are both adver
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Hello, hrsanei.
First of all, I would like to thank you for the time you spent giving the examples above. Actually, I understand the difference between "hard'' and "hardly''. Still, the problem is that I don't know how to write correctly the sentence mentioned in my first post in order to communicate the right message.
Let me quote it:
So, can we say:
First of all, I would like to thank you for the time you spent giving the examples above. Actually, I understand the difference between "hard'' and "hardly''. Still, the problem is that I don't know how to write correctly the sentence mentioned in my first post in order to communicate the right message.
Let me quote it:
So, can we say:
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