Hope Doing vs. Hope To Do
“Hope” takes a to-infinitive when it directly introduces a following action, and it also supports clause patterns. A bare gerund after “hope” is not the like-for-like alternative that a simple gerund-versus-infinitive label might suggest.
Use “hope to do” when the hoped-for outcome is your own following action; direct “hope doing” is not the standard equivalent complement.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| speaker’s hoped-for future action | hope + to-infinitive | Use “hope to do.” |
| proposed direct -ing complement for the same meaning | hope + doing | Do not treat this as the ordinary equivalent complement. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Is the following verb the action the subject hopes to perform?
If yes: Use “hope to + verb.”
If no: If the grammar is different, analyze that construction separately rather than replacing the infinitive mechanically.
Caveat: Other complements of “hope” exist, including clauses; this guide addresses the direct verb-complement contrast only.
Examples
I hope to finish the report today.
The to-infinitive names the hoped-for action.
They hope to visit next month.
“Hope to” is the standard complement for the subject’s intended action.
She hopes to hear from the editor soon.
The following action is expressed with a to-infinitive.
Further guidance
Clause Boundary
Hope also introduces clauses for hoped-for situations; keep those clause patterns distinct from the to-infinitive pattern.
Decision
When “hope” directly controls the following action verb, choose the to-infinitive rather than a bare gerund.
To Infinitive
Use hope + to-infinitive for a hoped-for action expressed directly after the verb.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- hope — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Hope with to-infinitive and clause patterns
- Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -ing? (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Verb-complement patterns, including verbs taking -ing, to-infinitive, or both with meaning differences