NOT A TEACHER
Hello,
The verb "hope" has long confused me, too. I did some research and am delighted to share some ideas (not "answers") with you:
1. Maybe (only my opinion) English speakers used the subjunctive a long, long, long time ago.
a. I found this interesting tidbit about the Italian language. It seems that nowadays, many Italians also say the equivalent of "I hope he comes," instead of the subjunctive that is required by "literary tradition."
* The Italian Language Today (1988), Anna and Giulio Lepschy. (Google books)
2. Many experts point out that "hope" is almost the same as "expect." So if you expect something, maybe that is
one reason that native speakers prefer the indicative.
*A Grammar of the English Grammar (1931),Vol. II, page 401; A Dictionary of Modern English Usage (1965), p. 249; en.wikipedia.org.
3. (a) The devil take him.
(b) May the devil take him.
(c) I hope that the devil takes/ may take/ will take him.
The scholars who gave those examples explain that native speakers first used sentences such as (a) and then they moved on to (b) type of sentences, and now we prefer sentences such as (c).
* The Cambridge History of the English Language (1992), R. Hogg, N.F. Blake, S. Romaine. (Google books)
4. For some people (especially old people like me whose ears are accustomed to certain sounds), it is possible to occasionally use the subjunctive in American English.
(a) For me (and perhaps others?), I find this sentence perfectly natural and correct:
It is my hope that ____ win the presidential election in November.
(b) Here are some examples from Google books:
(i) My hope is that he come. * Bones Rules: Or, Skeleton of English Grammar (1901).
(ii) My hope is that she come home safely. The Cooper Hill Stylebook. (2005)
5. Here is some advice for us:
"You will not be wrong if you join the majority of users in expressing subjunctive meaning with indicative forms."
The scholars explain that "I hope that she attends college" is fine and that it is not necessary to say "It is my hope that she attend college."
* Writing at Work (1997), Edward L. Smith and Stephen A. Bernhart.
6. I then found these examples in Google books:
a. My hope is that this text helps ....
b. It is my hope that the data can help ....
c. It is my hope that these assignments will lend ....
d. It is my hope that the information may serve ....
7. Finally, I wish to quote a very well-educated American government official who wrote this in 1916. Today the underlined words would be in the indicative:
"I am now going down to ... New York till the President send for me; or, if he do not send for me, I'm going to his
house and sit on his front steps till he come out." *A Grammar of the English Language, Vol. II, p. 407.
As you can see, we have moved away from the subjunctive in many instances.
HAVE A NICE DAY!
