The use of the particle ‘to’ without an infinitive

The particle ‘to’ can be used alone while the context tells which verb is understood to follow it:

• I didn’t want to cry, and I tried not to, but the tears were pouring out, and I couldn’t control myself.

• I glanced at my father. I’d never seen him cry, and he wasn’t about to at that moment.

‘To’ is also necessary to use when it reveals the meaning of a proceeding

word:

• “It’s a war,” Walt had said. And in a war, Charlie well knew, you did whatever ugly things you had to to win.

Compare:

• It may have occurred to her, he thought, that a crime reporter could be a valuable friend to have.

The nominal and verbal character of the infinitive

The Infinitive is a non-finite form of the verb which has some features of the noun.

The nominal character of the infinitive is expressed in its nominal functions in the sentence. It is used as the subject, the object, the predicative, the attribute, also as some of the adverbial modifiers:

• To be able to speak openly and freely again was wonderful.

• But now all I want is to have you back here in this city.

• My mother had painted the cabinets eighteen years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house.

However, as the Infinitive cannot depend on prepositions, it is not used as prepositional object.

The verbal character of the infinitive can be seen in its tense forms (Simple or Indefinite, Continuous and Perfect), voice forms (Active and Passive), its ability to take a direct object, be modified by adverbs and its use as part of a verbal predicate:

• “It seems to be going well enough,” Dodge said.

• There was nothing more to be said.

• I seem to have forgotten your name.

The Active and Passive Forms of the Infinitive

	ACTIVE	PASSIVE
SIMPLE	To do	To be done
CONTINUOUS	To be doing	________
PERFECT	To have done	To have been done
PERFECT CONTINUOUS	To have been doing	_________

The use of tense and voice forms of the infinitive

The simple/indefinite and continuous forms of the infinitive are used to express an action or state simultaneous with the action expressed by the verb in the finite form in the sentence:

• Maggie was glad to be home in her own bed.

• He seemed to be getting nearer to what he wanted.

The same forms are also used to express an action or state following the action expressed by the verb in the finite form in the sentence:

• He swam to stay alive. But he knew he wasn’t going to make it. He suddenly couldn’t breathe.

• He would miss the country practice, though. It was sad to be leaving it.

The continuous infinitive focuses on the incomplete or temporary character of the action expressed by the infinitive:

• We pretended to be looking inside.

It may also serve to make the statement more expressive:

• We can’t go on like this – we seem to be always arguing.

Compare: He seemed always to sneer.

The perfect and perfect continuous infinitives are used to express actions prior to the action expressed by the verb in the finite form in the sentence:

• I seem to have forgotten your name.

• Cowboy turned quickly, and glanced at Tally. She seemed to have been waiting for him to look.

• You ought to have been studying this morning.

The perfect infinitive expresses complete past actions:

• Faulty wiring is thought to have caused the fire.

The perfect infinitive used in the conditional mood clauses, after some modals, after the past form of verbs of hope, intention or expectation expresses unfulfilled past actions:

• If I had seen the advertisement in time, I would have applied for the job.

• She pushed him away when he tried to hold her. They were to have had a simple date, a walk, dinner perhaps.

• I meant to have telephoned, but I forgot.

• He was expecting to have completed his training by now. As it is, he’s only halfway through it.

The Perfect Infinitive used after ‘would like, would love, would hate, would prefer’ shows that you regret that you didn’t or couldn’t do something:

• I would like to have seen the programme.

• I would hate to have lost my watch.

• I would prefer to have traveled by train.