The infinitive is a plain verb stem which is usually preceded by the particle to, e.g. to take.
The infinitive has a double nature, nominal and verbal.
The nominal character of the infinitive is manifested in it syntactic functions, i.e.:
- the subject To wait for people made him angry.
- a predicative My ambition was to retire at thirty.
- an object My granny has never learnt to read or write.
The verbal characteristics of the infinitive are as follows:
- The infinitive can take a direct object.
Jack began to feel some curiosity.
- The infinitive can be modified by an adverb.
I thought it strange for her to be out so late.
- The infinitive has analytical forms expressing tense, aspect and voice distinctions.
3. Forms
|
|
Active |
Passive |
Indefinite |
To take |
To be taken |
|
Continuous |
To be taking |
|
|
Perfect |
To have taken |
To have been taken |
|
Perfect Continuous |
To have been taking |
|
3.1. The Indefinite Infinitive expresses an action simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb. So it may refer to the present, past or future.
Roger seemed to know all about it.
3.2. The Continuous (progressive) Infinitive also denotes an action simultaneous with that denoted by the finite verb but it is an action in progress.
It’s nice to be sitting here with you.
3.3. The Perfect Infinitive denotes an action prior to the action expressed by the finite verb
I’m sorry not to have come on Thursday.
We often use perfect infinitives to talk about “unreal” past events: things that did not happen or might not have happened.
You should have told me you were coming.
After such verbs as to mean, expect, intend, hope, in the Past Indefinite, the Perfect Infinitive shows that the hope or intention was not carried out.
I meant to have telephoned but I forgot.(= I had meant to telephone … = I meant to telephone but never did.)
3.4. The Perfect Continuous Infinitive denotes an action which lasted a certain time before the action of the finite verb (and might be still going on).
They seemed to have been getting on a bit better.
3.5. The infinitive of transitive verbs has passive forms which are used when the subject is not the doer of the action expressed by the infinitive but may undergo this action, be acted upon.
I have not come here to be insulted but to talk to you as a friend.
Sometimes active and passive infinitives can have similar meanings, especially after a noun, in sentences with the construction there is.
The people to interview / to be interviewed are in the next room.
Perfect passive infinitives are common.
They were very lucky – they could have been killed.
Continuous passive infinitives are possible but unusual.
“I’d like to be being massaged.”
Perfect Continuous passive infinitives do not normally occur, e.g. “It must have been being built then.”
4. Bare Infinitive
4.1. However, in some cases the bare infinitive (i.e. the infinitive without the particle to) is used:
- after auxiliary verbs
Do you think she might be joking?
- after modal verbs (except ought, sometimes need and dare)
You could walk round the earth in a year.
- after verbs denoting sense perception such as hear, see, notice, feel, watch.
We both heard him say that he was leaving.
I didn’t see you come in.
- after the verb to let.
She lets her children stay up very late.
Let me just get my coat and I’ll be with you.
- after the verbs to make and to have in the meaning “заставлять, велеть, допускать”.
I made them give me my money back.
Have Mrs. Hansen come in, please.
- after the expressions had better, would rather, would sooner, cannot but, cannot choose but, nothing but, rather than.
You’d better see what she wants.
- after why (not)
Why pay more at other shops? We have the lowest prices.
4.2. Sometimes a bare infinitive or a to-infinitive can be used:
- after the verbs to know, to see, to observe (mostly in perfect tenses)
I’ve never known him (to) pay for a drink.
- after help
Could you help me (to) unload the car?
- after the link verb to be in sentences like:
All I did was (to) give him a little push.
- after and, or, except, but, than, as, like. When two infinitives are joined by and, or, except, etc. the second is often used without to.
I’d like to lie down and go to sleep.
4.3. After the verbs hear, see, make, know, help in the passive the to-infinitive is used.
She was heard to say that she disagreed.
4.4. The particle to is used instead of a whole infinitive if it is easily understood from the context.
“Are you and Gillian getting married? “ “We hope to”.
However, to is often dropped after want and almost always after like, when these are used after conjunctions, for instance when, if, what, as:
Come when you want (to).
4.5. A “split infinitive” is a structure in which to is separated from the rest of the infinitive by an adverb.
I’d like to really understand philosophy.
Split infinitives are quite common in English, especially in an informal style. Some people consider them incorrect or careless, and avoid them by putting an adverb in another position.
He began slowly to get up off the floor.
5. Functions
The infinitive can be used in different syntactic functions.
Subject:
To make mistakes is easy. To defrost this fridge takes ages.
The infinitive as a subject may precede the predicate. In Modern English, this is unusual in informal style. The infinitive more often follows the predicate, and the sentence opens with the introductory it, which is “a formal subject”.
It’s easy to make mistakes.
Predicative:
Your task is to get across the river without being seen.
Part of a predicative:
He’s easy to amuse. She is nice to talk to.
Part of a compound verbal predicate:
She seems to be crying.
- modal predicate
The cleaning is to be finished by midday.
- aspect predicate
Before daylight it started to drizzle.
Object:
Many verbs can be followed by an infinitive as an object, for example:
afford consent learn prefer swear
agree decide like prepare trouble
arrange except love pretend try
ask fail manage promise want
attempt forget mean propose wish
beg hate neglect refuse wait
care help offer regret
choose hesitate omit remember
claim hope plan threaten
I don’t want to see you again.
Some of these verbs can be followed by the Objective with the Infinitive Construction or the For-to-Infinitive Construction (see next function).
I want her to be happy.
An infinitive can be used after the questions words who, what, where, etc. (but not usually why).
I wonder who to invite. (=…who I should invite).
An infinitive is used as an object after adjectives such as pleased, lucky, sorry, afraid, etc.
You were very lucky not to be killed.
Part of a Complex Object (as the verbal element in the Objective with the Infinitive Construction and the For-to-Infinitive Construction, see …):
Why won’t you let me explain?
Attribute:
An infinitive modifies abstract and class nouns, indefinite and negative pronouns, ordinal numerals, the adjectives next and last.
I told her about my decision to leave.
The infinitive can express the idea of obligation, possibility, purpose, an intended effect.
Have you got a key to open this dor
Adverbial modifier:
a) an adverbial modifier of purpose
I sat down to rest.
In order and so as are normal before stative verbs like be, have, know and before negative infinitives.
I watched him in order to know more about him.
b) an adverbial modifier of result
In this function infinitive is chiefly used after adjectives modified by enough or too.
Mr. Evans was too busy to see anyone.
An infinitive can be used after a noun modified by enough, too much/little, etc.
There was enough light to see what I was doing.
It is also found after so – Adjective – as or such – a Noun – as. The result is negative.
He was so weak as to be unable to work.
c) an adverbial modifier of comparison
An infinitive is introduced by the conjunction as if or as though.
She moved her hand towards his lips as if to stop him.
d) an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances
I arrived home to find that the house had been burgled. (=…arrived and found that…)
e) an adverbial modifier of cause
The infinitive of see and hear can explain the cause of a (false) impression. It is usually followed by you’d think or a similar expression.
To hear her talk, you’d think she was made of money.
f) parenthesis
To speak the truth, I was a little troubled.
6.1. The Objective with the Infinitive Construction
This is a construction in which the infinitive is in predicate relation to a noun in the Common Case or a pronoun (in the Objective Case). In the sentence this construction has the function of a complex object.
The Objective with the Infinitive Construction is used:
a) after verbs of sense perception hear, see, watch, feel, observe, smell, notice, etc. (only the Infinitive Active is used).
I thought I heard someone knock on the door.
This construction is not used after the verbs to see (=to understand) and to hear (=to learn, to be told); a clause is used instead.
I see you don’t realize the danger.
b) after verbs of mental activity know, think, consider, believe, suppose, expect, imagine, find, etc.
After verbs of mental activity, except the verb to expect, the verb to be is generally used.
I expected Dave to meet me at the airport.
After the verbs consider, find, think the infinitive can be omitted.
She found the subject to be fascinating.
c) after verbs of declaring pronounce, declare, report, etc.
The surgeon pronounced him to be out of danger.
d) after verbs denoting wish and intention want, wish, desire, mean, intend, choose, etc.
I’d like you to hold the door open for me.
The infinitive can be passive.
I’d like the door to be held open.
e) after verbs of feeling and emotion like, love, hate, dislike, cannot bear,
I hate people to ignore me.
f) after verbs of order and permission order, allow, suffer, have (in negative sentences), etc.
The gentleman ordered his luggage to be taken upstairs.
g) after verbs of compulsion make, cause, get, have, force, compel, oblige
The crisis has forced the government to act.
h) after the verbs rely, count the Construction is preceded by the preposition on (upon).
I rely on you to keep my secret.
6.2. The Subjective Infinitive Construction
This is a construction in which the infinitive is in predicate relation to a noun in the Common Case or a pronoun (in the Nominative Case); the noun/pronoun is the Subject if the sentence, the infinitive is part of a compound predicate.
The Subjective Infinitive Construction is used with the following groups of verbs in the Passive
a) verbs of sense perception see, hear, etc.
Mr. Sawyer was heard to laugh heartily.
b) verbs of mental activity think, consider, believe, expect, know, suppose
You are expected to start work at 8.00 every morning.
c) the verb to make.
She was made to sign the paper.
d) the verbs say, report.
The child is said to resemble her mother.
e) The Construction is used with the following pairs of synonyms: seem/appear, happen/chance, prove/turn out in the Active Voice.
The plane seemed to be losing height.
f) The Construction is used with the word groups to be sure, to be certain, to be (un)likely.
The party is sure to be a great success.
6.3. The For-to-Infinitive Construction
This is a construction in which the infinitive is in predicate relation to a noun or a pronoun preceded by the preposition for.
The Construction can have different functions in the sentence:
- Subject
It’s important for you to finish the course and get a qualification.
But if the adjective expresses a personal quality, e.g. brave, careless, clever, foolish, generous, good, kind, mean, nice, polite, wrong, etc., it is followed by an of-phrase + an Infinitive.
It was clever of Tina to find that out.
- Predicative
It is not for me to say.
- Complex Object
after verbs apply, arrange, ask, call (=demand), long, prepare, wait and the adjectives anxious, reluctant, keen, etc.:
I’ll wait for you to finish your breakfast.
- Attribute
I’ve made arrangements for someone to take photos (or some photos to be taken).
- Adverbial modifier of purpose
For plants to grow properly, you have to water them regularly.
- Adverbial modifier of result
The light wasn’t shining brightly enough for anyone to notice it.
