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So, I enjoy musing on things just for the hell of it, and I was listening to a podcast and a girl on there mentioned that she thought "Hope all is well!" is, full stop, a conversation ender. Like people use it just to be cordial and because they do NOT want to have any more conversation. It is the equivalent of a mic drop, ender. I beg to differ though. I think some people use it because they, in fact, DO want to have more conversation, but they are nervous and really suck at the art of conversation and just don't know what to say to strike up or continue a conversation, so they say some short ice breaker of, "Just wanted to say hi, srjth, and hope all is well!" in the hopes that YOU open the flood gates and continue the conversation. So, no, I don't think it's the "mic drop" of a conversation ender always. I think sometimes it's a conversation beginner. So, let the people speak...what do you think? Conversation ender always?
So, I enjoy musing on things just for the hell of it, and I was listening to a podcast and a girl on there mentioned that she thought "Hope all is well!" is, full stop, a conversation ender. Like people use it just to be cordial and because they do NOT want to have any more conversation. It is the equivalent of a mic drop, ender. I beg to differ though. I think some people use it because they, in fact, DO want to have more conversation, but they are nervous and really suck at the art of conversation and just don't know what to say to strike up or continue a conversation, so they say some short ice breaker of, "Just wanted to say hi, srjth, and hope all is well!" in the hopes that YOU open the flood gates and continue the conversation. So, no, I don't think it's the "mic drop" of a conversation ender always. I think sometimes it's a conversation beginner. So, let the people speak...what do you think? Conversation ender always?
I say ender.
It should be in the form of a question.... (Alex) …..for it to be an opener.
I think it's an either/or kind of phrase. I've used it as both an opener and a closer.
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I think you're right. It's an either/or kind of phrase. It's interesting that people expect you to be able to read their minds and know what they mean by it. I wish people learned how to say what they mean. Until then, I guess I'll just respond to that by volleying the same statement right back to them.
It should be in the form of a question.... (Alex) …..for it to be an opener.
It should be in the form of a question when it's an opener, but it's not. And why isn't there a question mark when it's meant as an opener? Because the person is usually nervous and timid.
Same here. To me, "Hope all is well with you" is equivalent to "How is everything with you?" It's a conversation opener.
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Originally Posted by LilLisa83
No.. one is just a statement, the other is an actual question of interest.
I agree with LilLisa. “Hope all is well.” is a statement that doesn’t invite a response other than “Thank you.”
“Hope all is well?” (with a question mark) is technically questioning if one hopes all is well. It’s not questioning if all is well. If one wishes to engage in a conversation, it’s best to ask “How are you?”, “How are things?”, “What’s new?” etc.
Hope all is well sounds like a conversation ender to me. However, "Hi, hope all is well"? sounds like an opener.
A former boss of mine used this phrase when people greeted her and she didn't want a conversation. "Hi, Jane, how are you"? Her response: "I'm well, hope you are too". Great way to not have people tell you how they really are if you don't have time to chat.
im kind of hesitant to use that phrase. it's like assuming the other person is doing well; it's not actually asking how they are, but to move the conversation along to a different topic.
Kind of what I was thinking too.
IF you want to know if a person is well or not, than ask the question. "How are you Donald Trump?" Otherwise, seems to me, the grammatical statement "Hope you are well" doesn't require an answer, and so, technically...it IS a conversation ender.
But I think most people take it as an open ended statement, and people who have the gift of gab can work with it. lol
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