This week on
Ask a Teacher
, we answer a question from Thuy Duong Le, who writes:
Question:
What is the difference between finally, eventually and ultimately?
Answer:
Dear Thuy,
Thank you for your question. It centers on three words that act as adverbs. Adverbs can change the meaning of a verb, adjective, another adverb, or even a whole sentence.
Finally, eventually
, and
ultimately
generally show time. They often suggest the idea of a later time or the end of a period of time. In some cases, they are very close in meaning.
But there are some differences in the ways that English speakers use these terms. Let's explore a few of them.
Finally
Finally
is often used to introduce the last in a series of statements. When used in this way,
finally
is especially common in speeches, presentations, or in formal writing such as in an
academic
paper or a job
application
.
For example, a person might end a presentation by saying:
Finally, I'd like to thank the conference organizers for putting together this event.
Eventually
Eventually
means at some later time or in the end. It can be used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, you might hear a basketball fan say:
The Celtics have some good young players. In a few years, they’ll eventually win the
championship
.
