Difference between HOPE and EXPECT
If you want to know the difference between HOPE and EXPECT, pay attention and keep reading. I’ll explain everything you need to know about these two words.
Table of contents
One of the most common mistakes made by students learning English concerns the use of certain words that can be confusing, such as the difference between hope and expect. This particular difficulty is quite common at B2 and C1 levels, at least in my experience, as the verb expect is not as common at lower levels. So in this article I want to explain how to properly differentiate hope and expect, what the difference is, and their definitions.
What is the difference between HOPE and EXPECT?
Meaning of hope
The definition of hope, as a verb, in the Oxford Dictionary for Learners is as follows:
Hope (v.): to want something to happen and think that it is possible.
Oxford Learner’s Dictionary
That is, when we say I hope… it is because we want something to happen, whether it is possible or not. We simply express the desire for it to be so.
How to use hope
Another important point to understand the difference between hope and expect is knowing how it is used, i.e., what patterns it follows and how sentences with hope are constructed. So let’s look at the structures we use with hope:
| hope + to-infinitive | I was hoping to see my family next week. |
| hope + for sth. | We’ve already got two boys so we’re hoping for a girl next. |
| hope + that-clause | I hope that your sister recovers quickly from the operation. |
In general, we use hope to express good intentions and wishes for the future:
CORRECT: I hope we can see each other soon.
INCORRECT: Iwish/expectwe can see each other soon.CORRECT: I hope you enjoy your stay in Greece.
INCORRECT: Iwish/expectyou enjoy your stay in Greece.
Now, let’s move on to study expect.
Meaning of expect
The word expect is defined as follows:
Expect (v.): to think or believe that something will happen or that somebody will do something.
Oxford Learner’s Dictionary
So, in this case, we use expect when we think something will happen, even if we don’t necessarily want it to.
How to use expect
Like hope, expect also follows a series of patterns and structures. Let’s look at them in the following table:
| expect + object | She’s expecting a second baby. |
| expect + to-infinitive | We expect to move into our new flat next week. |
| expect + object + to-infinitive | The company expects her to be early. |
| expect + that-clause | We expected that the guest house would have much better rooms. |
Expect also means «to think» or «to suppose». When it has this meaning, we normally do not use it in continuous tenses:
A: Will he have bought the necklace by now?
B: I expect so. (NOT: I’m expecting so.)I expect that he’ll be wearing that bright blue shirt. (NOT: I am expecting)
Furthermore, when we think something will not happen, or is not true, we use expect in the negative form as follows:
I don’t expect (that) she will pass the exam.
I don’t expect her to pass. (Better than “I expect she won’t pass…”)
Conclusion
So, what is the difference between hope and expect? While hope expresses a desire for something to happen or be true (you want it to happen), expect refers to something you believe will happen, without it necessarily being what you want to happen. Do I make sense?
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Oh, and don’t forget to keep smiling!