Question

Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
I asked Meg earlier if she thought it would rain and she said “I ________ .”
A. Hope
B. Hope it
C. Hope not
D. Don’t hope so

Answer 1

Hint: The given sentence suggests that someone asked Meg about her opinion on the weather, enquiring if it would rain or not. Therefore, Meg in her reply will express what she thinks about it. Look for an option that expresses what Meg feels.

Complete step by step answer:
Let us analyse all the given options in detail to know the correct answer.
Hope: The word ‘hope’ means expectation for a desire to be true. Example: I hope it rains today. By implying this option, the sentence becomes “I asked Meg earlier if she thought it would rain, and she said, I hope”. This sentence is incorrect as the last line phrase, ‘I hope’ is incomplete as it doesn’t mention hope what?
Hope it: The phrase in this option signifies that Meg is hoping for something. By implying this option the sentence becomes “I asked Meg earlier if she thought it would rain, and she said I hope it”. This sentence is grammatically incorrect as it doesn’t specify any action with ‘hope it’, hope it does could be an appropriate fill. Therefore, this is an incorrect option.
Hope not: The phrase in this option signifies that Meg is hoping something not to happen. By implying this option the sentence becomes “I asked Meg earlier if she thought it would rain, and she said I hope not”. This sentence is grammatically correct as it does specify an action with ‘hope not”, here, she is hoping not to rain. Therefore, this is the correct option.
Don’t hope so: This phrase depicts that Meg does not hope, that it may rain. By implying this option the sentence becomes “I asked Meg earlier if she thought it would rain, and she said I don’t hope so”, this is not a precise answer. Therefore, this is an incorrect option.

So, the correct answer is “Option C”.

Note:
The difference between ‘hope not’ and ‘don’t hope so’ is that, when we use the phrase ‘hope not’ we are expressing that we are strongly against something, we want something not to happen. Whereas; when we use the phrase ‘don’t hope so’, it signifies our opinion on the occurrence of something and not that we are against something strongly. Example: Do you think you will fail? I hope not. Example: Do you think she will come? I don’t hope so.