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hardly convinced

English translation: so unlikely as to be virtually impossible that I could become convinced

17:43 Mar 16, 2008
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / literature
English term or phrase: hardly convinced
How can you explain the last part (hardly that ....)of this sentence?

"What I intended to say was that I may possibly become newly convinced that there is somebdoy at the window, hardly that somebody who had been at the window has gone away but might come back."

In my opinion the writer says: she may be just convinced that there is nobody at the window and he may NOT be convinced that there had been a person at the window but he has just disappeared but probably will come back at any time.

do you agree with my explanation?
fortunetelle (X)
Local time: 04:57
Selected answer:so unlikely as to be virtually impossible that I could become convinced
Explanation:
"What I intended to say was that I may possibly become newly convinced that there is somebody at the window, hardly that somebody who had been at the window has gone away but might come back."
I meant to say that I could become convinced (newly: again as I was before, or - less likely - for the first time) that there is someone at the window, but not that someone who had been there has gone away and come back.
Is that any clearer?
Selected response from:

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:57
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +4so unlikely as to be virtually impossible that I could become convinced
Jack Doughty
4yes
Jay Whitten


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
yes


Explanation:
that's correct!

Jay Whitten
Russian Federation
Local time: 04:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
so unlikely as to be virtually impossible that I could become convinced


Explanation:
"What I intended to say was that I may possibly become newly convinced that there is somebody at the window, hardly that somebody who had been at the window has gone away but might come back."
I meant to say that I could become convinced (newly: again as I was before, or - less likely - for the first time) that there is someone at the window, but not that someone who had been there has gone away and come back.
Is that any clearer?

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:57
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 518
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks. I am totally convinced. :))


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  katsy
27 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Trudy Peters
27 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Gary D
5 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  V_Nedkov
9 days
  -> Thank you.
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