Expect vs wait for

Dear Dr English:

What does "expect someone" mean? There are a few similar words that I am not sure about. They include "expectant" as in "expectant mother", and "expectancy" as in "life expectancy". Please explain.

Buasai Wangtrakul

"To expect" is to think or believe that something will happen. "We can expect some rain this evening." But when you expect a person you are normally waiting for them to arrive because you have made an appointment with them or have arranged to seem them.

"I'm Pat Johnston from Buy All Enterprise. Is Mr Selfast in?"

"Yes, he's expecting you."

Don't be confused with "to wait for", when you are waiting for somebody or something and possibly delaying an activity until they arrive.

"Has Mary eaten her dinner yet?"

"She wanted to wait for her mother."

We have to wait for Andy to get ready every morning.

"Expectant" is an adjective meaning to be excited because of the thought that something exciting or pleasant is about to happen.

You can see the expectant faces of the children waiting for Santa to appear.

With the same connotation of thinking that something exciting is about to happen, the adjective is used to describe parents whose baby is going to be born soon.

The seminar on New Parents Guide was a success. It drew many more expectant parents than we expected.

Then we have "expectancy", which is the feeling that something exciting or interesting is about to happen.

One could feel the expectancy in the air at the airport which was crowded with hundreds of teenage girls waiting to see the heart throb singer.

But "life expectancy" is different. It is the length of time that a living being, especially humans, are likely to live.

The life expectancy of men is usually shorter than that of women.

A hundred years ago the average life expectancy of Thai people was much lower than it is now.

By Dr English

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