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Prepositions with nouns

“Of hope” or “in hope”?

Hope combines with different prepositions depending on meaning. In hope and hope of are both possible, but they are used differently.

Quick answer

Which phrase is correct with hope?

In hope means with the expectation that something good will happen. Hope of means the possibility or expectation of something. Of hope by itself is usually not a complete or natural phrase.

She waited in hope of good news.
There is still hope of recovery.
They acted in the hope of finding evidence.
He spoke with hope in his voice.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
in hope of + noun or -ing

Showing purpose or expectation

Use in hope of to show that an action is done expecting a result.

She wrote again in hope of a reply.
They invested early in hope of making a profit.
2
hope of + noun or -ing

Showing possibility

Use hope of after the noun hope to describe a possible future result.

There is little hope of success.
We never lost hope of seeing him again.
3
in the hope that + clause

Introducing a full clause

Use in the hope that before a subject and verb.

She called again in the hope that he would answer.
They delayed the meeting in the hope that the weather would improve.
4
with hope

Describing attitude or feeling

Use with hope to describe emotion or tone.

He looked at her with hope in his eyes.
She spoke with hope about the future.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
in hope
They waited in hope for better news.
with hopeful expectation
of hope
A message of hope encouraged the community.
Possible when hope modifies another noun, but not usually as a standalone alternative to in hope
hope of
There is no hope of finding the files now.
the possibility or expectation of something
in the hope of
He applied again in the hope of getting accepted.
doing something expecting a result
with hope
She smiled with hope.
showing a hopeful feeling

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using of hope as a complete phrase

Of hope normally needs another noun before it, such as message or symbol.

✕ They waited of hope. ✓ They waited in hope.

Confusing hope of and in hope of

Hope of usually follows the noun hope. In hope of describes the purpose of an action.

✕ She travelled hope of finding work. ✓ She travelled in hope of finding work.

Using in hope that without the article

The full clause pattern usually takes the article the.

✕ They stayed late in hope that he would arrive. ✓ They stayed late in the hope that he would arrive.

Using hope for after the noun in formal patterns

After the noun hope, of is more natural in many formal structures.

✕ There is little hope for winning. ✓ There is little hope of winning.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. They waited ___ hope of better results.
2. There is still hope ___ recovery.
3. She stayed late in the hope ___ he would call.

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Frequently asked questions

Is in hope old-fashioned?

It is less common than hopeful or hoping in everyday speech, but it is still correct, especially in formal writing.

Can I say hope for instead of hope of?

Yes, especially with the verb hope. After the noun hope, hope of is often more natural in formal structures.

Why is of hope sometimes correct?

It works when hope describes another noun, as in a message of hope or a symbol of hope.

of, about, against, to or for racism? of, about, for, in or on friendship? of, about, for, on or to thing? of, about, for, to or with sex? of, about, on, to or for moon? "of access" or "with access"? "of accommodation" or "for accommodation"? "of accuracy" or "for accuracy"? "of action" or "in action"? "of actor", "with actor" or "by actor"? "of address" or "to address"? "of administration" or "in administration"?

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