- •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.
1. Subject. Non-perfect infinitives are more common in this function.
To tell her the details is not necessary.
The subject expressed by the Infinitive can be introduced by the introductory (anticipatory) it:
It is not necessary to tell her the details.
It takes me a couple of hours to cook this dish.
The infinitive is а part of а complex subject when used in а Subjective Infinitive construction:
They were seen to leave the house.
2. Predicative. Non-perfect infinitives are used in this function.
Her job was to bring the mail.
Her wish is to be left alone.
3. Secondary Predicative. The Infinitive can be a secondary predicative when it is used as a part of the predicative after the adjectives nice, hard, pleasant, interesting, easy, impossible, and others of the kind. The peculiarity of these sentences is that the subject of the sentence is the object of the action expressed by the Infinitive:
She is easy to deal with. (It is easy to deal with her)
This story is impossible to believe. (It is impossible to believe this story.)
4. А part of a compound verbal predicate.
а) The Infinitive is a part of а compound verbal modal predicate when it is used with modal verbs, semi-modal verbs and modal expressions, and other verbs expressing modality such as want, like, hate, etc.
He’s so tall he can touch the ceiling.
First of all you have to mix the flour and the butter.
We are going to consider our chances.
I like to see the children enjoying themselves.
b) The Infinitive is a part of а compound verbal aspect predicate when it follows verbs denoting the beginning, duration, cessation or repetition of an action, such as begin, start, commence, continue, cease, used to, would, etc.
We began to wonder if the train would ever arrive.
The town which Joyce wrote about has long ceased to exist.
They continued to work as if nothing had interrupted them.
She used to come here every evening.
Note: |
After the verbs stop, finish, go on, keep on we use gerund as a part of a compound verbal aspect predicate while infinitives perform a different syntactic function. After the verbs finish and stop the infinitive is used in the function of the adverbial modifier of purpose; after the verbs go on and keep on it is used as an object. |
5. Object. All forms of the Infinitive are used in this function.
I’m glad to meet you.
I’m glad to have met you.
I’m glad to be told the news.
After the verbs promise, offer, remember, forget, agree, decide, pretend, want, mean non-perfect forms of the Infinitive are used.
Sorry, I forgot to tell you about it.
A number of adjectives (especially adjectives describing feelings) are commonly followed by an infinitive. They are: able/unable, afraid, anxious, ashamed, bound, careful, certain, crazy, curious, due, eager, fit, happy, likely, lucky, pleased, right, shocked, stupid, sure, surprised, thrilled, welcome, wrong.
Mary was surprised to meet her sister there.