Bank on means count on someone or something and build your plans around it: we're banking on good weather, so the whole plan depends on it. It's informal. A common reply is I wouldn't bank on it, a polite way of saying 'probably not'.
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bank on someone/something; bank on + -ing; don't bank on it
- We are banking on the bridge reopening before summer.
- You can bank on their support during the move.
- The forecast looks promising, but I wouldn't bank on sunshine.
What changed
First versionWe are banking on get the permit next week.
RevisionWe are banking on getting the permit next week.
Hope to get and plan to get put a base verb after to, so banking on get seems natural. But on is a preposition, and a verb after a preposition takes -ing: banking on getting. The same works with a person: bank on the driver arriving early.
Hope for means you want something without building on it: we hope for sunshine. Bank on means the plan depends on it: we're banking on sunshine for the picnic, and without it everything falls apart. Count on is a near synonym; bank on sounds a bit more casual.
Your turn
Choose the form after on: We are banking on ___ enough volunteers.
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finding — On is a preposition, so the verb after it takes -ing: banking on finding. Bare find doesn't follow a preposition.
Describe a plan that depends on one thing: the weather, a friend's help or a deadline.
We are banking on the volunteers arriving before the doors open.
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