Undouted and doubtless

Question

could anybody tell me how to differentiate them?i hope the people who explains it to me are willing to give me more than one exmaples.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Anon:

The words are synonyms. You can look in www.dictionary.com for definitions and examples of undoubted and doubtless, as well as a description of the differences between them and other synonyms: indubitable and unquestionable.
Inserted:

Synonyms: 1, 2. Doubtless, undoubtedly, indubitably, unquestionably are adverbs that express certainty. Doubtless, although it sometimes denotes an absolute degree of certainty, more often means “probably,” “presumably,” or “no doubt”: She will doubtless accept the offer. Undoubtedly means “beyond doubt”: undoubtedly the most prolific and popular composer of his time. Indubitably and unquestionably both affirm an unassailable conviction; they differ only in tone, indubitably being appropriate to more formal or learned discourse and unquestionably appropriate in a wider range of contexts and styles: an indubitably (or unquestionably) accurate transliteration of the hieroglyphic text; unquestionably the hottest running back in the league.

The COCA tells us that undoubtedly, the adverb form, is far more common than the adjective, undoubted. Doubtless can be an adverb or adjective, and is more frequently used than the adjective undoubted.
But, as an adverb, undoubtedly is undoubtedly more frequently used than doubtless.

Lucus Ong · Answer

Could anybody elaborate it to me again as I do not really understand it.
but just tell me how to differentiate doubted and doubtful and doubtless and undoubted and undoubtedly.

Lucus Ong · Answer

I will be test for the differentiation between doubtful, doubtless, undoubted, undoubtedly, doubtfully, doubtlessly.
and the question in the test will be very confusing!
please tell me how to differentiate them.
great thanks in advance.
as I do understand the explanation above.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Degrees of certainty

I am a woman. (This is a fact, it is certain!)
Undoubtedly, I am a woman.

I will earn $1000 next month. (This is not a fact, but I have been earning this amount per month for the last 10 years. But if I quit my job, I will not earn anything.)
I am not planning to quit my job, so I will doubtless earn $1000 again next month.

It is doubtful that I will earn $1,000,000.00 or more next month, even though I will enter the lottery once a week.

Lucus Ong · Answer

There is only a sky in the world.
Undoubtedly, there is only a sky in the world.

I have been working as a secretary for ten months.
Undoubtedly, I have been working as a secretary for ten months.
I have been undoubtedly working as a secretary for ten months

I will doubtless work as a secretary next months.

I will doubtless buy a car after I have earn 100 thousand.
Doubtless, I will buy a car after I have earn 100 thousand.

When we refer to future we can't vouch that things will happen 100% we use doubtless mostly.
But when we refer to past, we can't vouch that things must happen, as it has happened so we use undoubtedly mostly.

this is what I think , am I right?
Doubtless, I will buy a car after I have earn 100 thousand. can doubtless be put in this position.
my dictionary says it racely be put in this position. I also think it strange to doubtless here. It's posibble to doubtless here?

I have been undoubtedly working as a secretary for ten months
it also sound strange to put undoubtedly in this position, it is possible to put undoubtedly in this position?

Patrick Lockerby · Answer

The differences between doubtful, doubtless, undoubted, undoubtedly, doubtfully, doubtlessly.

-ful, -fully - full of, filled with
-less - empty of, emptied of, not containing.
un- - not, the negative of a word, may also mean 'never'.
"A song as yet unsung." - a song which has never yet been sung.

"It is doubtful that it will rain here tomorrow." - the speaker doubts the thing.
"Doubtless you will call me a liar." - the speaker does not doubt it.

To say that it must rain sooner or later is an undoubted truth. - nobody seriously doubts it.
1st speaker: "Look at that dark sky. It will rain soon."
2nd speaker: "Undoubtedly." - meaning: 'I do not doubt it.

"Well, it may rain.", he said doubtfully. - the quoted speaker 'he' doubts the thing.

I can't think of a good example in which I would use 'doubtlessly'.
The -ly suffix suggests a way or manner of doing something.
I can't visualise doing something in a 'doubtless' way or manner.

I would say that 'doubtlessly' is non-standard.
www.wsu.edu also has this marked as an error:
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/doubtlessly.html

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Vctory OngThere is only a sky in the world. The sky is not in the world. This is impossible.

Undoubtedly, there is only a sky in the world.

I have been working as a secretary for ten months.
Undoubtedly, I have been working as a secretary for ten months. Undoubtedly is not used for factual events in the past, because there is no reason to question the certainty. Adverbs expressing degrees of certainty are mostly used for present and future conditions. They are also used for past events where an opinion is being expressed.
- Undoubtedly, the pyramids of Egypt are one of the greatest wonders of all ages. (This is an opinion, not fact, but it is highly likely that everyone would have this same opinion.)

I have been undoubtedly working as a secretary for ten months (True, but there is no reason to express any doubt on this statement, so we would not use any of the "adjectives of degrees of certainty".)

I will doubtless work as a secretary for the next few months. (OK. Sometimes this has some feeling of resignation - that you don't have much choice. For example: I have no skills, so I will doubtless be working in low-paying jobs until the day I die.)

I will doubtless buy a car after I have earned 100 thousand (currency). Good. It says that you have decided to buy a car, but that is still in the future. You might change your mind, but that is not likely.

Doubtless, I will buy a car after I have earned 100 thousand. OK, but the position of the adverb in the previous sentence is better..

Undouted and doubtless

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