Page 208 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

expect, hope, wait and look forward 196
- He expects to get a bike for his birthday. (= He thinks he'll get one.) It's hard to wait for things when you're five years old.
- I expected her at ten, but she did,.'t tum up.
I waited for her till eleven, and then went home.
Can't wait often expresses impatience. I can't wait for the holidays!
When we say that we expect a person, this usually means that he/she is coming to our home, office etc. Compare:
Come and see me this afternoon. I'll expect you at 4.00.
Let's meet at the cinema. I'll be there at 6.00. (NOT til &epeet y6/:t at 6.00.)
3 look forward: meaning
Look forward means 'think about (something in the future) with pleasure'. One looks forward to something that is certain to happen, and that one is glad about.
He's looking forward to his birthday.
See you on Sunday. ,.., I look forward to it.
4 all four expressions compared
Compare:
I expect to hear from her. (= I'm pretty sure I'll get a letter from her.)
I hope to hearfrom her. (= I'm not sure whether she'll write, but I would like
her to.)
I'm waiting to hearfrom her. (= I need her letter to come; perhaps it's late.) I look forward to hearing from her. (= I feel pleasure at the thought that I
will hear from her.)
5 structures
a + object: expect, hope for, wait for, look forward to
Compare:
We're expecting rain soon.
We're hopingfor a lot ofrain - the garden's very dry. We've been waiting for rain for weeks.
I'm looking forward to the autumn.
b + infinitive (with to): expect/hope/wait
We expect to spend the summer in France.
We hope to see Annemarie while we're there. But we're still waiting to hear from her.
(BUT NOT Pm 166leingJ.f6ffl1tlf'li 16 see Annemarie.)
Before an infinitive, simple and progressive fonns of hope and expect can often be used with little difference of meaning.
We hope / We're hoping to get to Scotland next weekend. We expect / We're expecting to hear from Lucy today.
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