4

Why is

I hope you are right

written in that way and not

I hope you to be right

2
  • 2
    "I hope you are right" is the common form of "I hope that you are right." Isn't it interesting that we do say, "I want you to be right," when we are at once doubtful and hopeful that the more optimistic point of view is correct? Commented Dec 24, 2015 at 0:58
  • @MarkHubbard Weird. I thought it was used as I wrote it.
    – Schwale
    Commented Dec 24, 2015 at 13:02

2 Answers 2

1

Up to now I haven't seen the verb construction to hope + noun + to-infinitive. The normal constructions are to hope + that-clause or + to-infinitive.

See Oald: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/hope_1

0

It is the correct structure of the sentence. "I hope you are right" is grammatically correct. Consider these sentences :

  1. I want you to be right.
  2. I wish you were right.

These sentences are extensively used in English.

2
  • But why? What's the difference between the verbs 'want' and 'hope' that the sentence structure is different?
    – Octopus
    Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 0:46
  • -1 I wish you are right isn't something native speakers say. It's either I wish you were right or non-standard / uneducated / dialectal I wish you was right. Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 3:04

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