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What is Hope? General Knowledge About Hope in English

In life, when we want to express our wishes and hopes for something, we often use the structure of "hope." So, what is the formula and usage of this? How can we distinguish "hope" from "wish" in English? Refer to the following article from PREP!

hope structure — What is Hope? General Knowledge About Hope in English

I. What is Hope?
II. Usage of the Hope in English
III. Hope to V or V-ing?
IV. Prepositions Used with Hope
V. Distinguishing Between the Structures of Hope and Wish
VI. The Difference Between Hope + Present and Hope + Will
VII. Some Words/Phrases/Idioms Related to Hope
VIII. Exercises on the Hope Structure (with detailed answers)
1. 1. Exercises
2. 2. Answer keys

I. What is Hope?

"Hope" /hoʊp/ is both a verb and a noun that means "to expect or desire something." The structure of "hope" is quite flexible; it can be used in various tenses, but it is most commonly used in the present tense to refer to the future.

Jenny hopes her son gets a good score.
Katy hopes that John will come to her birthday party.
Our only hope now is that the weather clears up before the event.

II. Usage of the Hope in English

Let's quickly explore some common structures of "hope" in English with PREP!

1. General Formula of Hope

Structure	S + hope (that) + S + V	S + hope + to V
Example	Peter hopes that his father picks him up from school.	Jenny hopes to pass the entrance exam and get into university.

In the phrase "Hope + clause," the word "that" can be omitted without affecting the meaning of the sentence. Additionally, to respond, we can use two concise ways:

I hope so.
I hope not.

2. Expressing Hope for the Present

We can use the simple present or present continuous tense in the hope context to express hopes regarding the present.

Expressing Hope for the Present
Structure	S + hope (that) + S + V(s/es)	S + hope (that) + S + be + V-ing
Example	Jenny hopes that the weather where she lives is nice.	I hope that he is having the best time of his life.

3. Expressing Hope for the Future

When expressing hopes about the future, we can use "hope" with either the simple present or the simple future tense (though the simple present is more common). The choice of tense usually does not change the meaning of the sentence.

Additionally, we can use “can + V (base form)” with "hope" to express future desires, or use “to V (base form)” when the sentence has the same subject.

Expressing Hope for the Future

Structure

S + hope (that) + S + V(s/es)

S + hope (that) + S + will + V

S + hope (that) + S + can + V(inf)

S + hope + to V (inf)

Example

John hopes that Katy comes to tomorrow’s party.

John hopes Katy will come to my party.

John hopes that Katy can come to tomorrow’s party.

Katy hopes to come to John’s birthday party.

= Katy hopes that she can come to John’s birthday party ➞ The subject is the same: Katy.

4. Expressing Hope for the Past

You can use "hope" to express feelings about the past when you think something may have actually happened. Alternatively, use "hope" for the past when something has occurred and ended, but you are unaware of the outcome.

You can use the simple past tense or the present perfect tense if the situation has implications for the present.

Expressing Hope for the Past

Structure

S + hope (that) + S + V-ed

S + hope (that) + S + have V(pII)

Example

Jenny hopes she passed the exam she took on Monday.

➞ Jenny participated in an exam but does not know if she passed.

Katy hopes her husband has survived the war.

In these examples, we still use "hope" in the present tense, as it reflects what the subject hopes now, although the situation being considered stems from the past.

Furthermore, you can also use the "hope" structure for the past when you already know the outcome of the situation. In this case, "hope" is used in the past form "hoped," as you no longer have hope for that event because it did not occur as expected. This structure is used to express feelings about the past situation to someone else.

Expressing Hope for the Past

Structure

S + hoped + S + V-ed

S + hoped + S + would + V

Example

John’s parents hoped he passed the test.

➞ In reality, John did not pass that test.

I hoped I’d met Sara at the beach.

➞ In reality, I didn’t meet Sara.

III. Hope to V or V-ing?

The correct form is hope to V when the subject expresses a desire to perform an action. Here are some examples:

We hope to find a solution to the problem soon.
They hope to win the championship in the upcoming competition.

IV. Prepositions Used with Hope

The verb "hope" can be used with two main prepositions: against and for, each with different meanings:

Structure	Meaning	Example
S + hope + against hope that…	This refers to a desire expressed by the speaker or writer that is unlikely to come true or hard to achieve.	The injured athlete hoped against hope that he would recover in time for the championship.
S + hope + for + noun/ noun phrase	This refers to a desire that the speaker or writer believes can realistically become a reality.	The students hope for high grades on their exams after studying diligently throughout the semester.

V. Distinguishing Between the Structures of Hope and Wish

The structures of "hope" and "wish" have similar meanings, but there are some subtle differences that help distinguish them.

	Hope	Wish
Similarities	Both structures are used to express desires, hopes, and expectations about something different from the present.
Differences	Mainly used to express wishes that are possible and have a high likelihood of occurring. When talking about future desires, the "hope" structure often uses the simple present tense.	Commonly used to express desires that are impossible or less likely to happen. For expressing unrealistic future or present wishes, the "wish" structure generally follows the second conditional format. When expressing wishes about the past, the "wish" structure typically uses the third conditional format.
Example	Jenny hopes she receives a huge gift for her birthday. Sara hopes she passed the final exam. I hope Harry wasn’t badly hurt in the accident.	Jenny wishes she could receive a huge gift for her birthday. Sara wishes she had passed the final exam, but it was too hard for her. I wish Harry hadn’t been badly hurt in the accident.

VI. The Difference Between Hope + Present and Hope + Will

The structure "hope" can be used with "will" as well as the present tense, and in some cases, it does not significantly change the meaning of the sentence. However, they cannot always be used interchangeably, and this is evident in certain situations.

Lisa hopes that she has her passport. ➞ This implies she currently does not have it.
Lisa hopes that she will have her passport with her. ➞ This suggests that although Lisa has her passport, she is not currently carrying it.

In the first example, the meaning encompasses both the present and future tenses, while the second example only conveys a future meaning. Therefore, "hope + present" and "hope + will" are not always interchangeable.

When using "hope" with the present continuous tense, the differences between "hope + present" and "hope + will" become even more pronounced.

Jenny hopes that her boyfriend is thinking of her. ➞ Jenny hopes her boyfriend is remembering her right now.

Jenny hopes that her boyfriend will be thinking of her. ➞ Jenny hopes her boyfriend will remember her in the future.

Advice: It is generally better to use "hope + present" as it is more flexible. You should use "hope + will" only when you want to strongly emphasize a desire regarding the future.

VII. Some Words/Phrases/Idioms Related to Hope

In addition to the basic structures of "hope," there are several words, phrases, and idioms that can be used to enrich your expressions of hope. Here are some common ones:

Idiom	Meaning	Example
hope against hope (that)	to continue hoping for something despite the fact that it is unlikely to happen; to have a feeling of false hope.	Jenny was hoping against hope that there’d been some mistake.
hope for the best	to expect or wish for a positive outcome or success in a situation.	I tried my best and hoped for the best.
I should hope so/not \| so I should hope	used to emphasize the speaker's opinion, often expressing a strong expectation or desire about something.	“Will Jenny be there?”-“I should hope not! Jenny was so horrible to you.”
not have a hope in hell	to have no chance or possibility of achieving something.	Harry was so weak – he didn’t have a hope in hell of winning.
hope springs eternal	the belief that people will continue to have hope, regardless of how difficult the circumstances are; hope is always present and never completely extinguished.	Even though the team has lost every game this season, the fans still come to watch. Hope springs eternal.
hope over experience	to express optimism or hope despite having contrary evidence from past experiences; sometimes used ironically.	She keeps getting back together with him, believing he'll change, but it's just hope over experience.
give up hope	to stop believing or expecting that something will happen; to lose hope that a situation will improve.	After years of searching, they finally gave up hope of finding the lost treasure.
hope against hope	to hope for something when you know that it is unlikely to succeed; to maintain a hope even when it's almost impossible to achieve.	They knew the chances were slim, but they hoped against hope that their missing cat would come back.

VIII. Exercises on the Hope Structure (with detailed answers)

After learning about the theory of the hope structure, let’s practice with some exercises to reinforce your knowledge!

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the appropriate structure (Hope or Wish) for the sentences:

Jenny has a lot of work to do, but she________(wish/hope) that she________(can/finish) by 10 p.m..
Sara is always looking at my smartphone. I__________(wish/hope) Sara__________(not/do) that. It is rude!
Hanna bought a suitcase last month. But when she took it on her travels, it broke. Hanna regrets buying it. In other words, Hanna_________(wish/hope) she___________(not/buy) it.
Katy is single. Katy doesn’t have a boyfriend, but she wants one. In other words, Katy_________(wish/hope) she__________(have) a boyfriend.
I'm (wishing/hoping)_______ for an interview next week.

Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate structure (Hope or Wish):

Jenny painted her nails blue, but it looked terrible. Jenny ________ she had painted them black.
Martin failed his test. Martin ______ he had studied more. Martin ________ he passes his next one.
Peter had to rush to the airport. His parents ________ he remembered his passport.
Sara has a soccer match tomorrow. She ________ her team wins.
They _______ to visit us next year.

2. Answer keys

Exercise 1	Exercise 2
She hopes that she can finish by 10 p.m. I wish Sara didn’t do that. Hanna wishes she hadn’t bought it. Katy wishes she had a boyfriend. I'm hoping for an interview next week.	wishes wishes/hopes hoped hopes hope

This article provides the complete structure of "Hope" that PREP has compiled for you to review effectively. We hope this article will be helpful for you in your communication and learning process. Be sure to regularly follow PREP for more valuable English knowledge!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.