To expect means to think or believe that something will happen, or to require something as a duty or obligation. We expect the results to be published next week.
What Does Expect Mean?
Expect comes from the Latin expectare (also spelled exspectare), built from ex- ("out") and spectare ("to look"). The literal sense was "to look out for" — to watch and wait for something to arrive. The word entered English in the 16th century and quickly spread into everyday, professional, and academic use. The same Latin root gives us spectator, inspect, prospect, and aspect.
In modern British English, expect has two distinct but closely related meanings. The first is predictive: you form a mental belief, based on evidence or reasoning, that something will occur. The second is normative: you consider something a duty, standard, or entitlement that must be met. A teacher can expect students to hand in work on time (normative) and can also expect that most of them will (predictive).
Note the contrast with related verbs. Hope expresses a desire without certainty. Anticipate suggests active preparation for what is coming. Predict is more formal and implies a reasoned forecast, often in technical or scientific contexts. Await focuses on the waiting itself rather than the belief. Choosing the right word sharpens both spoken and written English considerably.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| I expect my friend soon — she said she would come at three. | A2 — simple present, everyday prediction |
| We expect the results to be published next week. | B1 — object + to-infinitive, factual context |
| The hotel expects guests to check out before midday. | B1 — normative use, rules and duties |
| Sales figures were better than expected, which surprised the board. | B2 — passive adjective, business English |
| It was widely expected that the merger would face regulatory scrutiny, yet the decision came far sooner than analysts had anticipated. | C1 — passive voice, complex sentence, formal register |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| fully expect | I fully expect them to agree — the proposal is very reasonable. |
| half expect | I half expected the meeting to be cancelled. |
| reasonably expect | Customers can reasonably expect prompt replies to their enquiries. |
| widely expected | The rate rise was widely expected by economists. |
| as expected | As expected, demand increased in December. |
| better than expected | The test scores were better than expected. |
| worse than expected | Delays were worse than expected due to the weather. |
| expected outcome | The expected outcome of the trial is a conditional discharge. |
| be expected to | Applicants are expected to submit a portfolio. |
| hardly expect | You can hardly expect perfection on the first attempt. |
Usage Notes
Key grammar points
- expect + to-infinitive (same subject): I expect to hear back by Friday.
- expect + object + to-infinitive (different subject): She expects him to call.
- be expected to (passive): Staff are expected to sign in each morning.
- expect + that-clause (formal/written): We expect that the proposal will be approved.
- expect + noun (await): I am expecting a delivery this afternoon.
- Do not follow expect directly with a gerund: expect doing is non-standard.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I expect finishing the report by Friday.
I expect to finish the report by Friday. (use to-infinitive, not gerund)
She is expecting that he calls her.
She expects him to call her. (object + to-infinitive, not that + present simple)
We waited and expected the bus for half an hour.
We waited for the bus for half an hour. (use wait for to describe the physical act of waiting)