4

Why is

I hope you are right

written in that way and not

I hope you to be right

Peter
  • 66,233
  • 6
  • 65
  • 125
Schwale
  • 3,899
  • 2
  • 18
  • 38
  • 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? – Mark Hubbard Dec 24 '15 at 00:58
  • @MarkHubbard Weird. I thought it was used as I wrote it. – Schwale Dec 24 '15 at 13:02

2 Answers2

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

rogermue
  • 8,538
  • 2
  • 23
  • 24
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.

Varun Nair
  • 8,268
  • 7
  • 26
  • 47
  • But why? What's the difference between the verbs 'want' and 'hope' that the sentence structure is different? – Octopus Feb 10 '16 at 00:46
  • -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*. – FumbleFingers Feb 10 '16 at 03:04