Almost didn’t find the perfect title.

Meh…. I don’t really like the word, “almost“. Except when I use it with other negative words that then gives it a positive meaning. Like, “I almost had an accident”, or “I almost lost my job”.

Yeah, I see “almost” as a negative word, more than I see it as a positive or neutral word (words that I’m indifferent to — like proclivity. The word still gives me headache)

Using the word, almost;
CASE 1.
When used with negative words, it gives a positive meaning.
Lost, to me, is a negative word. So, saying “I almost lost my job” is a bad thing because I almost lost my job, but undeniably a good thing because I still didn’t lose it.
So, “almost + negative = positive”

CASE 2
When used with positive words, it gives a negative meaning. “Achieve” is my favorite positive word. “I almost achieved my dreams”….yeah, that doesn’t sound so positive now, does it?
Then, “almost + positive = negative.”

I’m sorry if you’re confused right now, wondering why the hell you’re still reading my crass, totally unrealistic theories of grammar. I’m not teaching English language. I just felt like after reading all what I’ve been ranting about, you’d better understand what I’m going to write now below.

All the sentences you’ve made this year with “almost + positive words”, you would make them again next year but without the word “almost” in it.

“I almost got my dream job” would become “I got my dream job”

“I almost got admitted into college” would become “I got admitted into college”

“I almost found ‘the one'” would turn “I found ‘the one'”

And so will every other similar sentence you made this year, do away with the word “almost” in 2018.
We probably almost finished 2017 the way we wanted to…. We WILL finish 2018 just as we want to.

Happy New Year in advance!

Inspired by the daily-prompt.