Is there any difference in expressing consent and assurance using adverbs "certainly" or "of course"? What would be more appropriate one in everyday conversation?
2 Answers
When it comes to expressing consent and assurance, I'd say the difference certainly isn't very big. :-) When faced with a question like
Can I have some more coffee?
..."Of course" would probably be a more typical reply. But there's nothing wrong with "Certainly" either (although it might sound a little more formal).
Oh, as you mention the context is everyday conversation, you should also consider something like:
Yeah, sure!
:-)
-
Thanks, especially for your remark about using "sure" in everyday conversation, +1– remAug 11, 2010 at 17:51
Certainly
is used for emphasizing that something is definitely true or will definitely happen:
I certainly hope you’re right.
There certainly wasn’t any point in doing it now.
In this fashion, certainly
is slightly different from of course
.
When used for expressing agreement or giving permission in daily conversations, certainly
and of course
have the same meaning:
-We’d like you to explain your proposal to us in greater detail.
-Certainly. / Of course.