Hope

Hope is a verb and a noun.

Hope as a verb

After hope, we often use present verb forms even when there is reference to the future:

• We hope she passes her driving test next week.
• I just hope the bus is on time tomorrow.

warning

We don’t normally use hope in the negative:

• I hope it doesn’t rain.
• Not: I don’t hope it rains.

The past continuous of hope is used to make polite statements and, especially, polite requests:

• I was hoping to have a word with you, Professor O’Malley.
• We were hoping you could lend us your car while you were in America.

Hope as a noun

We can use hope as a countable noun:

• In 1938, there was still a hope that war could be avoided.
• After the election, their hopes were high, but five years later nothing has changed.

When we mean hope in general, we do not use an article:

• You must never give up hope.
• Not: You must never give up the hope.

See also

• Expect, hope or wait?
• Politeness
• Negation