VOA慢速英语2019--Wait or Await?

 

This week, we answer Van’s question.

Question:

Van writes: “Could you give me the explanation about the difference between wait and await¹?”

Answer:

Dear Van,

Thanks for writing us. The two words have the same basic meaning, but they are used differently.

“Wait” is a verb and a noun².

It means to stay in a place until an expected event happens. Here is an example:

“We wait for the train to come.”

Or:

“I hate to wait in long lines.”

And:

“I waited for my friend to arrive.”

Also, it is often followed by “to’” and a verb.

Like this:

“I’m waiting to see the doctor.”

As a noun, wait refers to the act or time of waiting.

“After a short wait, I saw my doctor.”

Now, how is ‘await’ different?

First, there is no noun form. Await is used only as a verb and requires an object. It is often used in more formal or serious writing and speaking. It takes the place of “to wait for.”

For example, you can say, “We await your answers to these questions,” instead of “We wait for your answers to these questions.”

It is commonly used when you are waiting for something expected but not in the immediate³ sense. For example:

“The couple await the birth of their first child.”

Or:

“The suspect is in jail⁴ awaiting⁵ trial.”

And that’s Ask A Teacher! We await further questions from our English learners!

I’m Anne Ball.

Words in This Story

formal – adj. requiring or using serious and proper clothes and manners

1 await   

vt.等候，期待；(事情等)降临于

参考例句：

• We await your command.我们等待你的口令。
• We await your decision.我们期待你作出决定。

2 noun   

n.名词

参考例句：

• What kind of noun is this?这是哪类名词？
• This word is a collective noun.这个词是个集体名词。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 jail   

n.监狱，看守所；vt.监禁，拘留

参考例句：

• The castle had been used as a jail.这城堡曾用作监狱。
• If she carries on shoplifting,she'll end up in jail.她如果还在店铺里偷东西，最终会被抓进监狱的。

5 awaiting   

v.等候( await的现在分词 )；等待；期待；将发生在

参考例句：

• He is in custody awaiting trial . 他已被拘留候审。
• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence. 等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。 来自《简明英汉词典》