Which Tense is Correct: 'Let’s Hope Everything Goes Well' or 'Let’s Hope Everything Will Go Well'

When expressing hope about a future event, the choice of tense can subtly alter the message. Both

Let’s hope everything goes well and Let’s hope everything will go well are grammatically correct, but they convey different nuances.

Understanding the Context

The inclusion of the word later in a sentence can indicate that things are currently not going well, potentially justifying the use of the future tense. If the situation is in good standing, the word later can be omitted. For instance:

Let's hope everything goes well later. Let's hope everything will go well later.

Both versions are correct but, in most contexts, the first option is preferred for its simplicity and conversational tone.

Choosing the Right Tense

The choice between the present simple (goes) and the future simple (will go) depends on the context and the speaker's preference.

Present Simple Tense

Using the present simple tense (goes) can convey a sense of inevitability or expectation. For example:

I hope our team wins the big game.

In this scenario, the expected outcome is that the team will win the game.

Future Simple Tense

The future simple tense (will go) is more commonly used when expressing less certain or more tentative expectations. For example:

I hope they will still feed me when I'm sixty-four.

Here, the speaker is expressing a hope for an event that is still uncertain: whether they will be fed when they are very old.

When using the phrase goes well, the future simple tense is generally preferred, especially in contexts where the speaker is addressing a future outcome. For instance:

I hope you two will be very happy together after you’re married.

Here, the speaker is expressing a wish for the couple's future happiness.

Redundancy and Clarity

Both forms of the sentence can be clear, but the clarity can be improved by avoiding redundancy. Adding the word later theoretically clarifies that the hope is for a future time, but it can often be omitted without loss of meaning:

Let’s hope everything goes well later. Let’s hope everything will go well later.

Both the simple present (goes) and the future simple (will go) are correct, but the use of goes is more common and easier to understand. The word later is often unnecessary, as goes or will go inherently refer to the future.

Conclusion

To sum up, while both "Let’s hope everything goes well" and "Let’s hope everything will go well" are correct, the former is more commonly used and clearer in most context. If the context requires emphasizing a later time, the word later can be added, but it is often redundant.