Infinitive as Adverbial Modifier

1. The poor boy was half crazed with grief, and yet he had to go to London to play this match, for he could not get out of it without explanations which would expose his secret.

2. I should like to give a sketch of the character of this man, but it seems presumptuous to attempt such a thing upon paper, when the idea in my own mind is at best a vague and uncertain one. Several times I have thought that I grasped the clue which might explain, but only to be disappointed by his presenting himself in some new light which would upset all my conclusions.

3. I have been fetched out of bed several times to listen to it, but I need hardly say that I was never able to distinguish anything unnatural.

4. The pack which was forming to the south of us has partly cleared away, and the water is so warm as to lead me to believe that we are lying in one of those branches of the Gulf Stream which run up between Greenland and Spitsbergen.

5. He raised himself up upon his elbow, and looking round to see that we were alone, he beckoned to me to come and sit beside him.

6. In order to make my narrative intelligible, I must run lightly over one or two incidents in my former life which throw light upon subsequent events.

7. I arrived in Boston on October 12, 1993, and proceeded immediately to the office of the firm in order to thank them for their courtesy.

8. His complexion was of a sickly yellow and deeply pitted with small-pox, that is why the general impression was so unfavourable as to be almost revolting.

9. Some students who chanced to pass during the next hour were much astonished to see the worthy Professor of Physiology and his favourite student both sitting upon a very muddy bank.

10. Yet such is the state of things amongst us that the little energy and glimmering of reason which he possesses is entirely taken up with the labours which are necessary in order to procure certain metallic disks, wherewith he may purchase the chemical elements necessary to build up his ever-wasting tissues, and keep a roof over him to shelter him from the inclemency of the weather.

11. Why not go mushrooming? It would help you (to) distract a little. And to distract is what you do need right now. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that if you stay here with all these thoughts on your mind any longer, you will live to become insane. I wouldn't want you to be taken to a lunatic (mental) asylum. – To listen to you, I am on the verge of sanity! I may be having a hard time now, but it is sure to pass, I just need time to get over it.

12. I am quite surprised to see you. What could have brought you here? – I am afraid I have come to deliver bad news. I saw police officers arrest your brother and take him to the police station and I thought it would be wise for me to come here so as to let you know. – Well, of course, why else turn up here?

13. To look at you, I would say that you are a vampire. To have such pale complexion and such dark areas under your eyes is sure to be unhealthy. Why not turn to a doctor? You may have fallen ill with some serious disease. Let me take you to the nearby hospital to be examined.

14. To come across you in the street, I wouldn't recognize you. An ugly duckling I used to know as a child has grown to become a beautiful graceful swan. And that makes me even more pleased to see you. Why not go some place to have a bite and chat?

15. He understood that what she was saying was too right to object to, and therefore he could do nothing but agree. But as he did, he looked aside as if to observe the boys playing at the playing ground.

16. She returned home to find a surprise party waiting for her. She was amazed to see so many people smiling to her and so many presents waiting to be unwrapped. She was too moved (touched) to say a word. All she could do was stand in the doorway and cry.

17. To leave her alone was the most I could do to help. All she needed at that moment was to be left alone. But I am certain that she is strong enough to overcome her grief. – It would be wonderful to see her smile rather than look the picture of sorrow as if to live on is the hardest thing to do.

18. To worry about trifles is so much like you. If it relieves you, I would have done the same to help her under the circumstances. And if she had followed your advice, she wouldn't be in trouble now. It may be unpleasant to her, but she seems to be too light-minded to understand when to stop. And you are not to blame for her inability to count money. Anyway why cry over spilt milk? Let's do something to cheer you up.

19. I could do nothing to draw him out. He wouldn't tell me what was on his mind. But I know him too well not to see that he is plotting something. I wish I were more patient to simply wait to find out.

20. To find a way out, we need to turn to them. They are the only people to tell us how to act. They must have dealt with such situations a hundred times and can advise us what to do next. Why not call them to arrange to meet? It is better than sit by and not even try to find a solution.