Hope and Wish

---

Hope and Wish – These two words are often used to express desires, but they are used in different contexts and with different verb forms.

1. Hope: “Hope” is used when you want to express a desire or expectation for something that has a possibility of happening in the future. It is generally followed by a verb in its simple present or present continuous form. You can also use “hope” with “to” + infinitive verb.

Examples:

• I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.
• We hope to visit France next year.
• She hopes they are enjoying their vacation.

2. Wish: “Wish” is used when you want to express a desire for something that is not true or is unlikely to happen in the present or the future. When using “wish” to talk about situations in the present, you generally follow it with a verb in its past simple form. When using “wish” to express a desire for a different outcome in the past, you follow it with “had” + past participle. For future actions that are unlikely, you can use “wish” with “would” + base form of the verb.

Examples: Present:

• I wish I had more free time. (I don’t have enough free time now.)
• She wishes she lived closer to her family. (She doesn’t live close to her family.)

Past:

• I wish I had studied harder for the exam. (I didn’t study hard enough.)
• They wish they had chosen a different vacation destination. (They didn’t choose a different destination.)

Future (unlikely):

• I wish it would stop raining. (It’s raining now and it’s unlikely to stop soon.)
• He wishes she would call him. (He doesn’t think she will call.)

I hope this helps you understand how to use “hope” and “wish” correctly. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

Teach and learn how to talk about hopes and wishes in the class using our speaking lesson handouts below. The handouts and activities are online-friendly and flexible to meet all of your needs.

---

---