Wait for means to spend time until someone arrives or something happens. Use it for a person, an event or an answer: I'm waiting for a taxi. If you are waiting for someone to do something, add to and a verb: We're waiting for him to call.
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wait for + person/thing; wait for + somebody + to + verb; wait (for) + period of time
- We waited for the bus for twenty minutes, then decided to take a taxi.
- I'm waiting for my manager to approve the budget before I book the venue.
- She's still waiting for an answer from the university about her application.
What changed
First versionI'll wait you outside the station at six.
RevisionI'll wait for you outside the station at six.
It is tempting to put the person straight after wait, as with many other verbs. But English needs for between wait and the person or thing you are waiting for. Wait goes without for only before a length of time: wait ten minutes. The correction adds for.
Wait for means spending time waiting: I waited for the parcel all day and couldn't go out. Expect means believing that something will happen or arrive: I'm expecting a parcel today. If you simply know the parcel is coming, use expect; if you are sitting at home until the courier arrives, use wait for.
Your turn
I sat in the doctor's waiting room for an hour, ___ my turn.
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waiting for — The speaker spends a whole hour in the waiting room, passing the time until their turn: waiting for my turn. Expect means “to believe something will happen”, and expecting my turn is not what people say.
Write a message to a friend who is late for your meeting. Say where you are waiting and how much longer you can wait, using wait for.
I'm waiting for you at the main entrance of the cinema and can wait another fifteen minutes.
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