Wait or wait for?
Wait means ‘stay in the same place or not do something until something else happens’. We can use it with or without for:
Put a tea bag into the cup, then add water and wait (for) a minute or two before taking it out.
I phoned the head office but I had to wait (for) five minutes before I spoke to anyone.
We waited (for) hours to get the tickets.
When we use a direct object after wait, we have to use wait for:
Wait for us outside the cinema. We’ll be there at seven o’clock.
Not:
Wait us…
I waited for the postman every day last week hoping that your present would arrive.
Not:
I waited the postman…
Wait with the to-infinitive
Wait can be followed by the to-infinitive:
All right, I’ll wait to hear from you, Adam, then I’ll ring Simon.
By 9 pm there were about 20 people still waiting to vote.
Can’t wait
When we are very excited about something that is going to happen, we use the phrase can’t wait for + noun phrase or can’t wait + to-infinitive:
I can’t wait for tonight. I’m having a party! (I’m really looking forward to tonight.)
We can’t wait to go to Barcelona in June. (We’re really looking forward to going.)
(“Wait or wait for ?” dans English Grammar Today © Cambridge University Press.)
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- Adjectives and adverbs
-
Easily confused words
- Above or over?
- Across, over or through?
- Advice or advise?
- Affect or effect?
- All or every?
- All or whole?
- Allow, permit or let?
- Almost or nearly?
- Alone, lonely, or lonesome?
- Along or alongside?
- Already, still or yet?
- Also, as well or too?
- Alternate(ly), alternative(ly)
- Although or though?
- Altogether or all together?
- Amount of, number of or quantity of?
- Any more or anymore?
- Anyone, anybody or anything?
- Apart from or except for?
- Arise or rise?
- Around or round?
- Arouse or rouse?
- As or like?
- As, because or since?
- As, when or while?
- Been or gone?
- Begin or start?
- Beside or besides?
- Between or among?
- Born or borne?
- Bring, take and fetch
- Can, could or may?
- Classic or classical?
- Come or go?
- Consider or regard?
- Consist, comprise or compose?
- Content or contents?
- Different from, different to or different than?
- Do or make?
- Down, downwards or downward?
- During or for?
- Each or every?
- East or eastern; north or northern?
- Economic or economical?
- Efficient or effective?
- Elder, eldest or older, oldest?
- End or finish?
- Especially or specially?
- Every one or everyone?
- Except or except for?
- Expect, hope or wait?
- Experience or experiment?
- Fall or fall down?
- Far or a long way?
- Farther, farthest or further, furthest?
- Fast, quick or quickly?
- Fell or felt?
- Female or feminine; male or masculine?
- Finally, at last, lastly or in the end?
- First, firstly or at first?
- Fit or suit?
- Following or the following?
- For or since?
- Forget or leave?
- Full or filled?
- Fun or funny?
- Get or go?
- Grateful or thankful?
- Hear or listen (to)?
- High or tall?
- Historic or historical?
- House or home?
- How is …? or What is … like?
- If or when?
- If or whether?
- Ill or sick?
- Imply or infer?
- In the way or on the way?
- It’s or its?
- Late or lately?
- Lay or lie?
- Lend or borrow?
- Less or fewer?
- Look at, see or watch?
- Low or short?
- Man, mankind or people?
- Maybe or may be?
- Maybe or perhaps?
- Nearest or next?
- Never or not … ever?
- Nice or sympathetic?
- No doubt or without doubt?
- No or not?
- Nowadays, these days or today?
- Open or opened?
- Opportunity or possibility?
- Opposite or in front of?
- Other, others, the other or another?
- Out or out of?
- Permit or permission?
- Person, persons or people?
- Pick or pick up?
- Play or game?
- Politics, political, politician or policy?
- Price or prize?
- Principal or principle?
- Quiet or quite?
- Raise or rise?
- Remember or remind?
- Right or rightly?
- Rob or steal?
- Say or tell?
- So that or in order that?
- Sometimes or sometime?
- Sound or noise?
- Speak or talk?
- Such or so?
- There, their or they’re?
- Towards or toward?
- Wait or wait for?
- Wake, wake up or awaken?
- Worth or worthwhile?
- Nouns, pronouns and determiners
-
Prepositions and particles
- Above
- After
- Against
- Among and amongst
- At
- At, in and to (movement)
- At, on and in (place)
- At, on and in (time)
- Below
- Beneath: meaning and use
- Beyond
- By + myself etc.
- During
- For
- For + -ing
- From
- In front of
- In spite of and despite
- In, into
- Near and near to
- Of
- On, onto
- Over
- Prepositional phrases
- Prepositions
- To
- Under
- Until
- With
- Within
- Without
- Words, sentences and clauses
- Using English
- Verbs
Mot du jour
warm-hearted
kind and loving
