Hi,
I have a question about using verb “hope” to express hopes about future events. There are different rules in different books for the situation.
As it is said in grammar rules, “hope” is used to express a desire or an expectation about something real or possible. It is also said in some books (for ex. TOEFL Prep. Guide by M.A. Pyle…) that “hope” can be followed by any tense:
“We hope that they will come. (We don’t know if they are coming).”
But in some books (for ex. Headway or Longman Focus on Grammar) it is said that we must use Present Simple to express hopes about future events:
“I hope he comes to the party. (And maybe he will).”
So, what is the difference between using Present Simple and Future simple in such sentences?
You can use either of the two. The Simple Present tends to be used more with the first person, as in your two examples. If the hoped-for event is far in the future, I think the future tense would often be more natural.
Note that the continuous tenses are also possible, eg I hope he is coming to the party. We hope that they will be coming next year.
Best wishes, Clive