- •Введение
- •Contents
- •General notion
- •In informal English we can put an adverb between to and the infinitive (it is a so-called split infinitive).
- •Tense and aspect distinctions of the infinitive
- •3. The Perfect Infinitive denotes an action prior to that expressed bу the finite verb.
- •Voice disтinctions of тhe infiniтive
- •In sentences with the construction ‘there is’ the Infinitive of some verbs can be active or passive without any change in meaning:
- •You are silly not to trust them. Тhe use of тhe infiniтive wiтhout тhe parтicle ‘то’ (тhe bare infiniтive)
- •1. Subject. Non-perfect infinitives are more common in this function.
- •It is not necessary to tell her the details.
- •It takes me a couple of hours to cook this dish.
- •4. А part of a compound verbal predicate.
- •I like to see the children enjoying themselves.
- •I’m glad to meet you.
- •I’m glad to have met you.
- •I’m glad to be told the news.
- •I’m lucky to have met you there.
- •I find it difficult to talk to you.
- •I don’t know what to do.
- •I have no desire to see him again.
- •It’s a nice opportunity to see London.
- •7. Adverbial modifier.
- •If to do it properly the result will be better.
- •Predicative constructions with the infinitive
- •The objecтive- wiтh- the-infiniтive construcтion
- •I found her very interesting.
- •The subjective infinitive construction
- •I happened to meet her again some time later.
- •It is certain to rain tonight.
- •Questions for self-control
- •Exercises forms of the infinitive Ex. 1 What verbal and nominal properties have the Infinitive forms in the sentences below?
- •Ex. 2 Read the sentences below. Speak on the tense and aspect distinctions of the Infinitives used in the sentences.
- •Ex. 3 Read the sentences. What can you say about the use of the Infinitive forms in them? Translate the sentences into Russian.
- •Bare infinitive
- •I would prefer you to go on foot. – I’d rather you went on foot.
- •Syntactic functions of the infinitive
- •1. Subject
- •2. Predicative
- •3. Secondary predicative
- •4. Attribute
- •5. Part of a compound verbal modal predicate
- •6. Part of a compound verbal aspect predicate
- •It has started to rain.
- •7. Object
- •I am sorry to trouble you.
- •8. Adverbial modifier of purpose
- •9. Adverbial modifier of result or consequence
- •10. Adverbial modifier of comparison
- •I have only а few minutes to spare.
- •2) She plays the piano well. She cаn give concerts. –
- •Predicative constructions with the infinitive
- •I’m sure you have met these people before. –
- •I believe her to know all the details. –
- •It’s nice that you have come to see us. – It’s nice of you to come to see us.
- •Subject
- •Adverbial modifier of purpose
- •General revision
- •(10 Points)
- •(20 Points)
- •(15 Points)
- •(15 Points)
- •(30 Points)
- •(20 Points)
- •(10 Points)
- •Glossary
- •Selected bibliography
- •Books used for examples
- •Инфинитив
- •344082, Г. Ростов-на-Дону, ул. Большая Садовая, 33.
You are silly not to trust them. Тhe use of тhe infiniтive wiтhout тhe parтicle ‘то’ (тhe bare infiniтive)
The particle ‘to’ is the marker of the Infinitive and in most cases the Infinitive is used with the particle ‘to’. However there are cases when the Infinitive is used without the particle ‘to’. The Infinitive without the particle ‘to’ is called ‘bare Infinitive’. There are also verbs after which the Infinitive can be used both with or without the particle ‘to’.
The bare Infinitive is used in the following cases:
1. After auxiliary verbs such as do, will, etc.:
He doesn’t like to speak about these things.
2. After modal verbs except the verb ought:
If you cannot have what you want, have what you can.
3. After verbs of sense perception such as see, hear, feel, etc. if the Infinitive is а part of the Objective-with-the-Infinitive construction:
We saw him enter the room.
4. After the verb let if the Infinitive is а part of the Objective-with-the-Infinitive construction:
Let him say it.
5. After the verbs make and have in the meaning “заставлять” if the Infinitive is а part of the Objective-with-the-Infinitive construction:
We made him come on time.
They had her decorate the house.
Note: When the verbs see, hear, feel, let, make have passive forms, the Infinitive is used with the particle ‘to’: He was seen to enter the house. They were made to accept the plan. |
6. After the expressions had better, would rather, would sooner, rather than, cannot but, nothing but:
She had better see а doctor if it gets any worse.
Which would you rather do, go to the cinema or stay here?
I’d sooner die than marry you!
Rather than cook dinner why don’t we finish what we have?
One cannot but admire her determination.
There is nothing left for us to do but go there.
7. After the verb bid both the bare Infinitive and the Infinitive with the particle ‘to’ can be used:
The queen bade us (to) enter.
8. After the verb help the Infinitive can be used either with or without the particle ‘to’:
Can you help me (to) understand what is going on here?
9. In suggestions beginning with why:
Why not make your own Christmas cards?
Why argue about it now?
Questions in which why is followed by the affirmative Infinitive are used to suggest that the action is not necessary.
10. In sentences where the Infinitive phrase is used as predicative to emphasize the idea:
What we should do is try to explain it to him.
The thing to do now is find a hotel to stay at.
11. When two infinitives or infinitive phrases are joined by and, or, but, than, as, the second Infinitive is often used without ‘to’:
I’d like to go and tell him the truth.
Do you want to eat now or wait for Mary?
I agree to do anything but wash the dishes.
It’s better to call him now than wait for his call.
Is it as interesting to see a movie as read a book?
SYNTACTIC FUNCТIONS OF ТHE INFINIТIVE IN A SENTENCE
The Infinitive can be used in different syntactic functions. In most cases it takes an object or is modified by an adverb and forms an Infinitive phrase which performs a syntactic function.