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.

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.