NDA (I) 2017 GAT Q1: I ________ you to be at the party this

Q: What is the answer to NDA (I) 2017 GAT Q1?

C. Correct — C, 'expect'. Only 'expect' takes the pattern verb + object + to-infinitive here — you expect somebody to do something. The blank is followed by 'you to be', an object and then a to-infinitive, so the missing verb has to be one that can govern both at once.

NDA (I) 2017 General Ability Test · Question 1 of 149

Question text verified against the official NDA question paper.

I ________ you to be at the party this evening.

(a)look forward to
(b)hope
(c)expect
(d)think

Answer

Why

Correct — C, 'expect'. Only 'expect' takes the pattern verb + object + to-infinitive here — you expect somebody to do something. The blank is followed by 'you to be', an object and then a to-infinitive, so the missing verb has to be one that can govern both at once.

Why the others are wrong

(a)look forward to — It is followed by a noun or an -ing form — 'look forward to the party', 'look forward to seeing you' — because that 'to' is a preposition, so it cannot govern 'you to be'.
(b)hope — English does not allow an object plus a to-infinitive after 'hope'; the natural wording would be 'I hope you will be at the party'.
(d)think — 'Think' rejects the same frame — one says 'I think you will be at the party', never 'I think you to be'.

Concept

Some English verbs allow the frame verb + object + to-infinitive and others simply do not, so a cloze among near-synonyms is often decided by structure rather than by meaning.

All four choices are about anticipating something, which means sense alone will not separate them. What decides the item is the material right after the blank — 'you to be' — and only one of the four can carry an object and a to-infinitive together.

Key facts

'Expect' takes an object plus a to-infinitive, as in 'I expect you to be here by six'.
'Hope' takes a that-clause, or a to-infinitive whose subject is the same person — 'I hope to be there'.
In 'look forward to', the word 'to' is a preposition, so an -ing form follows it.

Study next

Verbs taking object plus to-infinitive — want, expect, allow, askPrepositional 'to' and the -ing form that follows itReporting verbs and their complement patternsCloze items decided by structure rather than by meaning

Common traps

Choosing 'hope' because it matches the friendly tone of an invitation.
Reading the 'to' of 'look forward to' as an infinitive marker.

Asked as a selecting-words item — pick the word or group of words that fits the blank.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
She ________ him to arrive before dinner.
- (a)hopes
- (b)expects
- (c)looks forward
- (d)thinks
Answer(b) expects — only 'expect' takes an object plus a to-infinitive.
practice — not a real PYQ
I look forward to ________ from you soon.
- (a)hear
- (b)hearing
- (c)heard
- (d)have heard
Answer(b) hearing — the 'to' of 'look forward to' is a preposition, so an -ing form follows.