Can one fulfill “beyond” a promise? Is it possible to say “extending the fulfillment of a promise”?
I am trying to express that I hope I fulfilled a promise and then some. This is for the acknowledgements of my thesis. I have written: “Many years ago I made a promise to my late maternal grandmother that I would do my best in getting admitted to a university. I hope this effort contributes to fulfilling that promise and beyond just a little bit more.”
Answer
JLG’s and Billy Moon’s answers are spot on. I’d add two things:
- Your thesis does not contribute to fulfilling the promise, which was fulfilled before you were admitted; it contributes to fulfilling something else.
- Fulfill is a very potent word, and it defeats its potency to employ it in a context where it is merely a stepping stone toward something else. It’s like (I date myself) bringing in the Beatles to open for the Monkees. Save it.
I’d go for something more like:
Many years ago I made a promise to my late maternal grandmother that I would do my best to get admitted to a university. I made good on that promise; I hope this effort justifies her insistence and contributes to fulfilling the larger dream she had for me.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : Kent , Answer Author : StoneyB on hiatus
