Me: I dunno, probably around 9 pm. [At this point, I’ve merely offered some information; I think most people would not interpret this as an assurance, and would not blame me much if I show up to the party at 8:30 or 10:00 or even skip it altogether.]
Assuming the conversation doesn’t delve further into this, if I were your friend I’d actually be very surprised if you didn’t show up. The question ‘At what time are you going?’ assumes that you’re going, however uncertain the details. If you wish to convey the idea of ‘you might not see me at all’ your answer should explicitly include ‘but I might not go’ because without that clause you’re agreeing to attend, at least at some point.
To be clear, I agree with the gist of the piece. I just find it funny how even such a short convo could lead to a quite dramatic misunderstanding.
Assuming the conversation doesn’t delve further into this, if I were your friend I’d actually be very surprised if you didn’t show up. The question ‘At what time are you going?’ assumes that you’re going, however uncertain the details. If you wish to convey the idea of ‘you might not see me at all’ your answer should explicitly include ‘but I might not go’ because without that clause you’re agreeing to attend, at least at some point.
To be clear, I agree with the gist of the piece. I just find it funny how even such a short convo could lead to a quite dramatic misunderstanding.