- •The Infinitive
- •Verbal Characteristics of the Infinitive
- •The Forms of the Infinitive
- •Predicative Complexes with the Infinitive
- •In the sentences predicative complexes are treated as a whole. When introduced by preposition ‘for’, they can perform any function, except the one of the predicate.
- •Test 1 ‘The Infinitive’
Test 1 ‘The Infinitive’
Choose the correct variant
You should … the truth.
to tell; b) told; c) have told.
Write it down … forget.
so as not to; b) not to; c) so that not to
I didn't mention it because I didn’t want ... about it.
a) he got angry; b) him to get angry; c) him get angry.
They did their best for ... the champion.
a) their son becomes; b) their son become; c) their son to become.
He is said ... a quick temper when he was a boy.
a) tohad; b) to have; c) to have had.
She is ... not to say a thing like that in public. I don’t believe that she said it.
a) enough clever; b) clever enough; c) too clever.
Sometimes you have to pretend ... people that you detest. a) to be liking; b) to like; c) like.
It’s unusual ... such important facts in his report.
a) for him to overlook; b) of him to overlook; c) for him overlook.
Would you be so good as ... the news as soon as possible?
a) let me know; b) to let me know; c) let me to know.
These documents need ... immediately.
a) tobe signed; b) be signed; c) to sign.
It was very cold earlier on today but it seems … now. a) warms up; b) warm up; c) to be warming up.
The book is ... to read. I’m bored.
a) long enough; b) too long; c) enough long.
I’m given a lot of paper work … at the office.
a) tobe done; b) for doing; c) to do.
A suspicious young man ... the building shortly before the incident. a) was seen to enter; b) was seen entered; c) was seen enter.
I noticed … something into his pocket.
a) him to be putting; b) him put; c) him to put.
It was so nice … me flowers.
a) for him to send; b) he send; c) of him to send.
1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5 ... 6 ... 7 ... 8 ... 9 ... 10 ... 11 ... 12 ... 14 ... 15 … 16 …
State the syntactic functions
of infinitives, infinitive phrases or predicative complexes in the quotations:
A classic is smth that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.
________________________________________
The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.______________
Eve was the first woman who ever said, “I’ve got nothing to wear” and meant it________________________________________
You may lead a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink.
________________________________________
To be or not to be is not a question of a compromise. ________________
A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.
______________________________________
Everything comes to him who knows how to wait. __________________
Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live.
__________________________________________________________
A zoo is an excellent place to study the habits of human beings.
_________________________________
If you throw mud, you are sure to slip in it. _______________________
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.
____________________________________
Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of.
____________________________________
Experience is said to be a comb which nature gives us when we are bald.
______________________________________
Each bird loves to hear himself sing. ______________________________
If you have no friends to give you advice, there may be a pillow for you to take counsel of. ______________________________________________
Underline 5 infinitives , infinitive phrases or predicative complexes with the infinitive in the following text and state their functions.
Hi Mary,
Sorry I haven't been in touch for a while - the new job is keeping me busy. I'm working as a receptionist. It was nice of Michel to find this job for me. But frankly speaking, I didn't expect it to be so demanding. Some of the bills are quite complicated to work out. Nevertheless, it's great that I have a job. My aim is to save $500 by the end of the holidays. Then, I'll have two weeks free and there will be time for us to enjoy ourselves too. Think about it. Erica
Add particle ‘to’ where required.
Two friends, Alex and Megan, are talking.
A: Megan, where were you last night? James says he didn't see you ... come in to the party.
M: Yes, Alex, that's right. I'm sorry. My parents wouldn't ... let me ... come out last night. I wanted ... see you - honestly I did.
A: Why did your parents make you ... stay in? They usually allow you ... go out in the evenings, don't they?
M: Yes, but I hadn't finished doing my homework. And I was made ... stay in until I had. I had nothing ... do but ... obey.
A: Oh dear, poor you. Well, let's ... do something tonight instead.
M: OK. Actually, I'd like ... see that new film.
A: Would you? The film is said ... be quite good but I'd rather just ... go out to the cafe. We’ll have a chance ... talk properly.
M: Well, why not ... go to the early showing of the film and then ... go to the cafe.
A: I'm not sure I can ... afford ... go to the cinema.
M: That's all right. I've got some money. So, we’ll meet at six o'clock in the cinema, if you don’t mind. I'll try ... get there a bit earlier and ... buy the tickets.
Fill in the correct form of the infinitive:
I saw them …................................ (get) into the taxi and ............. (leave).
He didn’t seem …................................ (notice) that it was raining heavily.
Your course paper was supposed ..................................… (finish) by now.
Ann seems ….......................................................................... (daydream).
She is sure …...................................................... (arrive) by the next train.
This carpet is filthy. It really needs ….................................... (clean) soon.
The climate is said ….................................. (get) warmer with every year.
He appears ….................................................... (injure) badly in the fight.
There are pools everywhere. It seems ….................................. (rain) hard.
He claims ..................................… (discover) a cure for the common cold.
She seems ...................................................… (work) too hard these days.
Sharon tends ….............. (tell) lies. She is not the one …................. (trust).
Don’t make me .................... (laugh). You don’t let me .................. (work).
You were surfing the Net but you should ........................................ (work).
V. Replace the group of words in italics by an infinitive or an infinitive complex as in the examples below.
Threats don't work with the person who's got nothing that he could lose.-
Threats don't work with the person who's got nothing to lose.
It is likely he’ll catch the train if he starts right now. –
He is likely to catch the train if he starts right now.
What’s the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet which you could put it on?_... a tolerable planet____________________________
It is said that the dinosaur was rather a stupid animal.
The dinosaur ___________________________________________________
He wanted that I should learn Spanish.
He wanted _____________________________________________________
He was playing very softly so that he wouldn’t disturb anyone.
He was playing very softly _______________________________________
I lied to the police. That was stupid.
It was stupid ____________________________________________________
They robbed a bank. Somebody saw it.
They _______________________________________________________
You aren’t very old; you can’t understand these things.
You aren’t ____________________________________________________
He reached the station exhausted and was very disappointed when he learnt that the train had just left. ... exhausted _______________________________
that the train had just left.
I heard that he said it. _ I heard ____________________________________
There are some candidates here, which you should talk to.
There are some candidates here_________________________________
I’m sure that you will like the film.
You_______________________________________________________
I don’t know where I can buy the tickets. I don’t know ___________________
VI. Say it in English using infinitives.
Я бачила, що вона сіла в таксі.
I saw______________________________________________________
Він домовився, що хтось підвезе її в аеропорт.
He arranged________________________________________________.
Погода була достатньо теплою , щоб не вдягати пальта.
The weather _______________________________________________
Вона подумала, що виліт ймовірно (likely) буде затримано через туман.
She thought the flight ________________________________________
Вона останньою сідала (to board) в літак.
She was___________________________________________________
Діти шуміли і не давали їй заснути.
The children made noise and __________________________________
Дітей було неможливо заспокоїти. (to calm down)
The children________________________________________________
Було б нерозумно з її боку сердитись.
It_________________________________________________________
Очікувалось, що переліт займе близько години.
The flight___________________________________________________
Було декілька проблем, які вона мала обміркувати.
There_____________________________________________________
VII. Make up a story using infinitives and infinitive complexes.
to sit in a pram and look around; to do some shopping. to wait for; to waste time; to go into the shop; to go on to investigate the world; passers-by; to walk all by himself; proved to be; to be careful; to stop; to walk across the street; a long and dark tube; brave; to step inside and walk through the tube; to go back; to worry about him; to come out of the shop; pretended
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