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I'm trying to improve my English, and I'm writing a letter which contains the phrase:

I'm wondering, in ?view? of a positive response, if I could start preparing the project.

My doubt is, given I don't know the outcome, and it's not in "view", but I simply expect a positive one, the phrase:

I'm wondering, expecting a positive response, if I could start preparing the project.

sounds really bad, I'm not sure what's wrong but I'm sure it's wrong.

I recall there was an appropriate word to express expectancy, that's why I structured the original phrase that way, but now I can't recall that word, not even in my native language.

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  • In view means that you've received the positive response. After all, you're viewing it. If you haven't received such a response, you can say "in anticipation of a positive response."
    – deadrat
    Jan 27, 2017 at 11:57
  • "in anticipation" is good, getting closer. I would like also to express that I think it will be a positive one, it's like a double opposite of "in spite": in the sense that is a forecast and that is in harmony not in opposition (not sure if I'm helping or creating confusion with this comment)
    – apo.peter
    Jan 27, 2017 at 13:06

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'Anticipate" would be a great word to use to express the expectancy you're looking to convey in a common, colloquial way.

I might play around with something like this: "Anticipating/assuming a positive response, I am/was wondering if I could start the project."

Anticipate:

verb (used with object), anticipated, anticipating. 1. to realize beforehand; foretaste or foresee: to anticipate pleasure. 2. to expect; look forward to; be sure of: to anticipate a favorable decision.

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  • This is so close I'm thinking I must have thought about a word that doesn't exists, or simply mixed a meaning with a wrong word. I'll play a bit with this, probably it's the appropriate word. Thank you.
    – apo.peter
    Jan 27, 2017 at 14:49
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anticipation

  1. The act of expecting or foreseeing something; expectation or presentiment: "None are happy but by the anticipation of change: the change itself is nothing" (Samuel Johnson).
  2. An expectation: "His heart was light and his anticipations high" (Mark Twain).
  3. Action taken in order to prevent or counteract something: The police department's anticipation of unruly behavior after the championship game prevented mayhem.

(thefreedictionary.com)

Your sentence:

I'm wondering whether, in anticipation of a positive response, I could start working on the project.

You could also say in the hopes of or in the expectation (for this one you'd have to be quite confident.)

(You can also take a look at a thesaurus, now that you've got at least one reasonable candidate word.)

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  • Thank you for the clarification, I was still dubious because I was using a different word and context as a reference, without realizing it. Also, the "whether" correction is extremely helpful, not having the time to follow a proper course this small helps are invaluable. Thanks
    – apo.peter
    Jan 30, 2017 at 9:15

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