Неличные формы глагола инфинитив = Verbals in Depth the Infinitive. Учебное пособие

CONTENTS

ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

VERBALS

(NON-FINITE FORMS OF THE VERB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 THE INFINITIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

1. THE MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE INFINITIVE

(THE FORMS OF THE INFINITIVE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

2. THE SYNTACTICAL FUNCTIONS

OF THE INFINITIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 1) The infinitive as SUBJECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

2) The infinitive as PART OF A COMPOUND

NOMINAL PREDICATE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

3) The infinitive as PART OF A COMPOUND

VERBAL PREDICATE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 4) The infinitive as OBJECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 5) The infinitive as ATTRIBUTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 6) The infinitive as ADVERBIAL MODIFIER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 7) Infinitive as PARENTHESIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

3. THE USE OF THE BARE INFINITIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 4. THE SPLIT INFINITIVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

5. PREDICATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS WITH THE INFINITIVE

(INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTIONS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

REVISION EXERCISES

(syntactical functions of the infinitive and predicative constructions

with the infinitive). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

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ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ

Предлагаемое Вашему вниманию учебное пособие “Verbals in Depth: The Infinitive” (на английском языке) создано для студентов педагогических университетов, изучающих иностранный язык (ан- глийский) как основную специальность и, прежде всего, для студен- тов географического факультета МПГУ, обучающихся по направле- нию: 44.03.05 «Педагогическое образование», профилям: «География»

и«Иностранный язык (английский)», предполагающим подготовку учителейгеографииииностранногоязыка. Этолишьперваячастьма- териала, систематизирующего знания студентов по теме «Неличные формы глагола», которая включает справочную информацию о при- роде, особенностяхиобщихчертахинфинитива, герундия, причастия, а также подробно рассматривает инфинитив (его природу, грамма- тические формы и синтаксические функции) и предикативные кон- струкциисинфинитивом(инфинитивныекомплексы).

Кроме теоретического материала, пособие содержит практи- ческую часть– это целый ряд упражнений, служащих для развития

исовершенствования грамматических навыков по вышеназван- ным темам. Традиционные упражнения аналитического харак- тера содержат примеры из английской классической литературы, онинаиболееполнопредставляютупотреблениеинфинитивавраз- личных синтаксических функциях и в инфинитивных комплексах. Тренировочныеупражнения(наподстановку, трансформацииипе- ревод) содержат современный аутентичный материал, демонстри- руя, таким образом, современные речевые образцы, рекомендуе- мые для употребления.

Автор планирует продолжить работу над созданием аналогич- ных материалов для изучения герундия и причастия и надеется, что настоящее пособие, наряду с другими, поможет преподавате- лям и студентам, изучающим английский язык как специальность, в освоении такого сложного, но интересного раздела английской грамматики.

Автор

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VERBALS

(NON-FINITE FORMS OF THE VERB)

The verb has finite and non-finite forms. Finite forms can be found as predicates in sentences, and they have certain categories serving mostly to agree the predicate of the sentence with its subject. The grammatical categories of finite forms of the verb are:

-the category of person

-the category of number

-the category of tense

-the category of aspect

-the category of mood

-the category of voice

There are three non-finite forms of the verb, or verbals, in the English language: the infinitive, the gerund, and the participle (Participle One and Participle Two). They differ from finite forms as they lack some grammatical categories that finite verbs have. The verbals have no category of person, number, tense and mood, and thus they can’t be used as the predicate. The verbals do have the categories of voice, aspect, and tense correlation though, and can be used as part of the predicate (verbal or nominal). For example,

I can’t understand you.

“Understand” is an infinitive, it is part of a compound verbal modal predicate.

She began reading the letter.

“Reading” is a gerund, it is part of a compound verbal aspect predicate.

My dream is to learn at least three foreign languages.

“To learn” is an infinitive, it is part of a compound nominal predicate (the predicative).

The verbals combine the characteristics of the verb with the characteristics of other parts of speech. The infinitive and the gerund are the forms of the verb, which have the syntactical characteristics of the noun; the participle is the form of the verb, which has the syntactical characteristics

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С. В. МАЙОРШИНА. НЕЛИЧНЫЕ ФОРМЫ ГЛАГОЛА: ИНФИНИТИВ

S. V. MAYORSHINA. VERBALS IN DEPTH: THE INFINITIVE

of the adjective or the adverb. That is why they are said to have “a double nature”. The verbal nature of the non-finite forms of the verb is reflected in their morphological features and is connected with the verbal categories the verbals possess (e.g. “to have been facing” is a passive continuous infinitive). The nominal nature of the verbals is reflected in the syntactical functions they can perform in the sentence (e.g. Seeing is believing. – in this sentence “seeing“ is a gerund used as subject and “believing” is a gerund used as predicative, i.e. part of a compound nominal predicate).1

Thus the verbals have some characteristic traits:

1.They have a double (nominal and verbal) nature (see above).

2.The tense distinctions of the verbals are not absolute, but relative; it does not show whether the action it denotes refers to the present, past or future. It only shows whether the action expressed by the verbal is simultaneous with the action expressed

by the finite verb or prior to it.

I’m glad to see you. – In this sentence the infinitive “to see” denotes an action simultaneous with the finite verb “am” expressing the present action (I see you and I am glad.).

I was glad to see you. – In this sentence the infinitive “to see” denotes an action simultaneous with the finite verb “was” expressing the past action (I was glad when I saw you.).

I’m glad to have seen the play. – In this sentence the infinitive “to have seen” denotes an action prior to the one expressed by the finite verb “am” (I saw (have seen) the play and now I’m glad. = I’m glad that I have seen the play.).

3.All the verbals can form predicative constructions, i.e. constructions consisting of two elements, a nominal element (noun or pronoun) and a verbal one (the participle, gerund or infinitive); the verbal element stands in predicate relation to the nominal element, i.e. in a relation similar to that between the subject and the predicate of the sentence. In most cases, predicative constructions form syntactic units, serving as one part of the sentence. They usually correspond to Russian subordinate clauses.

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VERBALS (NON-FINITE FORMS OF THE VERB)

She hated him to cry.

Она ненавидела, когда он плакал.

“Him to cry” is the-objective-with-the-infinitive construction used after the verb “to hate” (expressing feeling and emotion). “Him” – is a nominal element, a pronoun used in the objective case, “to cry” is a verbal element, an infinitive. The construction is used in the function of a complex object. It is a whole unit and is translated into Russian as an object clause.

It’s difficult for untrained people to find work.

Людям без специальной подготовкитрудно найти работу.

“For untrained people to find work” is a for-to-infinitive construction (for-complex). “Untrained people” is a nominal element, a noun in the common case, defined by an attribute; “to find work” is a verbal element, an infinitive phrase, preceded by the preposition “for”. The construction and the introductory “it” are used as the subject of the sentence.

In the sentence a verbal may occur:

-singly (without accompanying words) Skating is not allowed. The ice is not very good.

-in verbal phrases (with one or several accompanying words) To become a good student, you should attend all the classes.

-in predicative constructions

She didn’t mind his coming to the party.

Note that a verbal phrase differs from a predicative (verbal) construction. It lies in the fact that the former (the verbal phrase) has no nominal element denoting the doer of its action, but it denotes an action related to the subject of the sentence or some other part of the sentence. Also note that in the English grammatical tradition (unlike the Russian one) in the syntactical analysis these phrases form one indivisible whole and are to be treated as one part of the sentence.

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THE INFINITIVE

The infinitive is a non-finite form of the verb which names a process or an action in a most general way. The infinitive developed from the verbal noun, which became verbalized, but at the same time retained some of its nominal properties, so like all the verbals it has a double nature.

The formal sign of the infinitive is the particle “to” (to go). In the negative form the particle “not” is added before the infinitive (not to go).

1. THE MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE INFINITIVE

(THE FORMS OF THE INFINITIVE)

As a verb the infinitive has the grammatical categories of voice, aspect, and tense correlation.

The non-perfect non-continuous infinitive expresses an action simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb, so it may refer to the present, past or future.

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1. THE MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE INFINITIVE (THE FORMS OF THE INFINITIVE)

I’m glad to meet you. – refers to the present I was glad to see Mr. Paul. – refers to the past

Mr Forsyte will be very happy to see you. – refers to the future

The non-perfect continuous infinitive also denotes an action simultaneous with that expressed by the finite verb, but it is an action in progress.

They happened to be standing near a small greenhouse at the end of the garden.

The perfect non-continuous infinitive denotes an action prior to the action expressed by the finite verb.

I’m glad to have seen you.

Я рад, что повидал вас.

An intimate friend is said to have dined with him that day.

Говорят, что в этотдень у него обедал близкий друг.

After such verbs as to mean, to expect, to intend, to hope used in the Past Simple, the perfect non-continuous infinitive shows that the action was not carried out.

I meant to have gone there.

Я собирался пойтитуда (но не пошел).

The perfect continuous infinitive denotes an action which lasted a certain time before the action of the finite verb

For about ten days we seemed to have been living on nothing but cold meat, bread and jam.

Дней десять мы не ели ничего, кроме холодного мяса, хлеба и джема.

Thus there are six forms of the infinitive for transitive verbs (e.g., “to carry”, “to write”) and four forms for intransitive verbs (e.g., “to stand”, “to sleep”). Note that transitive verbs that are not normally used in continuous forms also have four forms of the infinitive (e.g., “to see”, “to possess”), and intransitive verbs that are not used in the continuous forms have only two forms of the infinitive (e.g., “to be”, “to sound”).

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С. В. МАЙОРШИНА. НЕЛИЧНЫЕ ФОРМЫ ГЛАГОЛА: ИНФИНИТИВ

S. V. MAYORSHINA. VERBALS IN DEPTH: THE INFINITIVE

Like a finite verb the infinitive also can take an object and can be modified by an adverb.

To choose time is to save time. (time is a direct object)

Правильно выбрать время значит сэкономить его.

He is not a man to get embarrassed easily. (easily is an adverb used as an adverbial modifier of manner)

Он нетот человек, кого можно легко смутить.

Exercise 1. Translate the sentences paying attention to the ways the infinitives are rendered in Russian. Comment on the forms of the infini-

2. I ought to have refused him, only I had not the heart. 3. She was an unearthly being in his eyes, to be worshiped and admired at a distance. To drive with this lady in the carriage was an awful rite. 4. He was a man to have married a woman out of low life, and bullied her dreadfully afterwards. 5. Why was it useless to try to win any one’s favour? 6. Bessie would rather have stayed, but she was obliged to go. 7. You can’t be silly

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