AboutProf. Evona York, UABC Expertise I can help with almost anything having to do with English as a Second Language, including grammar and syntax, the basic skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking), etc. I am happy to help with proofreading and advice, but will not do homework for people.
Experience
Past clients Revista Electrónica de Investigación Educativa redie.ens.uabc.mx
(Online magazine of the Institute for Educational Research)
I am the founder and director of the Coro Poliglota (multilinguistic choir) of the Language School of my university. We specialize in learning and performing songs in many different languages--some 43, up to now.
we are two foreign English speakers, a Czech and a Russian, respectively.
From our school years and our native languages we had the following feeling about the use of FINALLY and EVENTUALLY in English writing and speech:
We would use FINALLY at the beginning of an issue that comes last in some sort of a list or ordering. We have been taught the use on a letter form, where the paragraphs get started with "Firstly,...", "Secondly,...", ... and "And finally...". We understand the ordering of the set does not have to be so explicit to use "finally" for the last item.
We would use EVENTUALLY, when talking about an event that has been, had been or will have been long (impatiently) expected. We perceive it as a more educated way of saying "at last".
Recently one of us was corrected by a native English speaker (well educated American, but not an English language professional) on the use of these words. According to the person one cannot use "eventually" for an event that has already happened. For example "Eventually, after long years of struggle, I defended my Ph.D." is supposedly incorrect. Replacing the first word with "Finally" is supposed to be the corret way.
What is your expertise on this issue?
Thank you very much in advance!
Answer Hello Daniel and Oleg,
I have no problem with your use of the word 'eventually'. Here's what I found at Merriam Webster Online:
Main Entry: even·tu·al·ly
Pronunciation: -E
Function: adverb
: at an unspecified later time : in the end
Substituting this in your sentence, we have "In the end, after long years of struggle, I defended my Ph.D."
The site's Thesaurus gives this:
Entry Word: eventually
Function: adverb
Text: at a later time <stop whining about how long it's taking us--we'll get there eventually> -- see YET 1
On looking up 'finally,' I found this:
Main Entry: 1fi·nal
Pronunciation: 'fI-n&l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin finalis, from finis boundary, end
1 a : not to be altered or undone <all sales are final> b : of or relating to a concluding court action or proceeding <final decree>
2 : coming at the end : being the last in a series, process, or progress <the final chapter>
3 : of or relating to the ultimate purpose or result of a process <our final goal>
synonym see LAST
- fi·nal·ly /'fI-n&l-E, 'fIn-lE/ adverb
The Merriam Webster Thesaurus give this:
Entry Word: finally
Function: adverb
Text: at a later time <we're making steady progress and may finally finish this project> -- see YET 1
Again, regarding the use of 'eventually,'it can also refer to a future event: "I suppose it will happen eventually."
I hope this helps. I think the person who corrected you is being overly picky. You sound fine to me.
Evona York
College of Languages
UABC Mexicali
August 16, 2005
