Oxford_Guide_to_English_Grammar

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14

The infinitive

115 Summary

Infinitive forms • 116

An infinitive can be a bare infinitive (e.g. play) or a to-infinitive (e.g. to play). There are also perfect and continuous forms.

Infinitive clauses • 117

We can put an object or adverbial after the infinitive.

I want to play some records now.

The to-infinitive as subject and complement •118

To break your promise would be wrong.

It would be wrong to break your promise.

The object ofthe game is to score the most points.

The to-infinitive expressing purpose and result •119

I came here to get some information.

We got home to find visitors on the doorstep.

Verb + to-infinitive • 120

I hope to seeyou again soon.

To-infinitive or gerund after a verb • 121

I wanted to play./I enjoyed playing.

Verb + object + to-infinitive • 122

My parents have invited us to visit them.

Adjective + to-infinitive • 123

It's nice to see you.

Noun phrase + to-infinitive • 124

I haven't got anything to wear.

Question word + to-infinitive • 125

I didn't know what to do.

For and of with a to-infinitive • 126

It's usual for guests to bring flowers.

It was kind of you to help.

Patterns with the bare infinitive • 127

You could walk round the earth in a year.

I'd better put this cream in the fridge.

The ride made mefeel sick.

116 Infinitive forms

There is no difference in meaning here between sit and to sit. Which we use depends on the grammatical pattern.

3 Here are some examples with perfect and continuous forms.

It's a pity I missed that programme. I'd like to have seen it. You'd better have finished by tomorrow.

The weather seems to be getting worse.

I'd rather be lying on the beach than stuck in a trafficjam. The man appeared to have been drinking.

We cannot use a past form. NOT I'd like to saw it.

4A simple infinitive refers to the same time as in the main clause.

I'm pleased to meetyou.

(The pleasure and the meeting are both in the present.)

You were lucky to win.

(The luck and the victory are both in the past.)

We use a perfect infinitive for something before the time in the main clause.

I'd like to have seen that programme yesterday.

(The desire is in the present, but the programme is in the past.)

We use a continuous infinitive for something happening over a period.

You're lucky to be winning.

(You're winning at the moment.)

118 The to-infinitive as subject and complement

1 We can sometimes use a to-infinitive clause as subject.

To defrost this fridge takes ages.

To turn down the invitation seems rude.

Not to take a holiday now and then is a great mistake.

But this pattern is not very usual. More often we use if as an 'empty subject' referring forward to the infinitive clause. • 50(5)

It takes ages to defrost this fridge.

Would it seem rude to turn down the invitation?

It's a great mistake not to take a holiday now and then.

But we often use a gerund clause as subject. • 131(1)

Defrosting this fridge takes ages.

2A to-infinitive clause can be a complement after be.

Melanie's ambition is to go to Australia. The important thing is not to panic.

The idea was to surprise everybody.

NOTE For be to, e.g. Everyone is to attend, • 76.

119 The to-infinitive expressing purpose and result

1 A to-infinitive clause can express purpose.

Laura has gone to town to do some shopping.

I'm writing to enquire about activity holidays. To get a good seat, you need to arrive early.

For other ways of expressing purpose, • 252.

NOTE

a In informal British English we use the forms go and/come and rather than go to/come to.

b After going or coming we use a to-infinitive.

Mark is coining to look at the photos.

2We can sometimes use a to-infinitive clause to express result, although this use is rather literary.

Laura came home tofind her house on fire. He grew up to be a handsome young man.

The to-infinitive can express the idea of 'bad news' following 'good news'. We often use only before the infinitive.

I found my keys only to lose them again.

Charles arrivedfor the concert (only) to find it had been cancelled.

3 An infinitive clause can also express a comment on the sentence.

To be frank, you didn't make a very good impression. I'm a bit tired of sightseeing, to tell you the truth.

14 THE INFINITIVE

120 Verb + to-infinitive

1 We can use a to-infinitive after some verbs.

I plan to visit India next year.

People are refusing to pay the new tax.

We hope to be moving into our newflat soon.

We expect to have completed the work by the summer.

For a list of these verbs and of verbs taking a gerund, • 121.

NOTE

The to-infinitive clause is the object of the main verb. Compare these sentences.

I wanted to play.

I wanted a game.

But some verbs take a preposition before a noun.

We decided to play tennis.

We decided on a game of tennis.

2We can use seem, appear, happen, tend, come, grow, turn out and prove with a to-infinitive.

The plane seemed to be losing height. (It was apparently losing height.) We happened to meet in the street. (We met by chance in the street.)

The debate turned out to be very interesting.

Here the to-infinitive clause is not the object, because seem, appear etc are not transitive verbs. They say something about the truth of the statement, or the manner or time of the action. With some of these verbs we can use the empty subject it. • 50(5c)

It seemed (that) the plane was losing height.

The object of the to-infinitive can be subject of a passive sentence.

Active: Someone seems to have stolen the computer.

Passive: The computer seems to have been stolen.

3 Sometimes we can use a finite clause instead of the infinitive clause.

We decided to play tennis.

We decided (that) we would play tennis.

But with some verbs this is not possible.

NOT People are refusing that they pay the new tax.

For verb + finite clause, • 262(1).

121 To-infinitive or gerund after a verb

1 Verbs taking only one form

Some verbs take a to-infinitive, and others take a gerund.

PAGE 151 122 Verb + object + to-infinitive

c We use dread + to-infinitive mainly in the expression I dread to think/imagine...

We use a gerund for something that causes fear.

I dread to think what might happen to you all alone in a big city. I always dreaded being kissed by my aunts.

dTry+to-infinitive means 'attempt to do' and try + gerund means 'do something which might solve the problem'.

I'm trying to light a fire, but this wood won't burn. ~ Why don't you try pouring some petrol on it?

NOTE

In informal English we can use try and instead of try to.

Let's try and move the cupboard away from the wall.

eAfter stop we often use the to-infinitive of purpose. But stop + gerund means to end an action.

At the next services he stopped to buy a newspaper. You'd better stop dreaming and get on with some work.

fMean + to-infinitive has the sense of 'intend'. But mean + gerund expresses result, what is involved in something.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to step on yourfoot.

I have to be at the airport by nine. It means getting up early.

gGo on + to-infinitive means to do something different, to do the next thing. Go on + ing-form means to continue doing something.

After receiving the award, the actor went on to thank all the people who had helped him in his career.

The band went on playing even after everyone had left.

h We usually use need, want and deserve with a to-infinitive.

We need to leave at eight. Tony wants to borrow your typewriter.

A gerund after these verbs has a passive meaning. • 113(1)

The typewriter needs/wants cleaning.

122Verb + object + to-infinitive

1Some verbs can take an object and a to-infinitive.

I expected Dave to meet me at the airport. Your landlady wants you to post these letters.

We asked the teacher not to give us any homework.

Here Dave is the object of the verb expected. It also functions as the subject of to meet. Compare these sentences.

I expected Dave to meet me.

I expected (that) Dave would meet me.

NOTE

a Compare the infinitive without a subject.

I expected to see Dave. (= I expected (that) I would see Dave.) b We can often use a passive infinitive.

I expected to be met. (= I expected (that) I would be met.)

cSometimes the main clause in this pattern can be passive.

Dave was expected to meet me.

dFor the pattern with for, e.g. I waitedfor Dave to ring, • 126.

2 We can use the following verbs with an object and a to-infinitive.

a Verbs meaning 'order' or 'request'

The doctor told Celia to stay in bed.

We persuaded our neighbours to turn the music down.

Here Celia is the indirect object, and the infinitive clause is the direct object. We can use advise, ask, beg, command, encourage, instruct, invite, order, persuade, recommend, remind, request, tell, urge, warn.

NOTE

a A finite clause is possible, but it is sometimes a little formal.

We persuaded our neighbours that they should turn the music down. b We cannot use suggest in this pattern.

NOT We suggested our neighbours to turn the music down.

We use a finite clause instead.

We suggested (to our neighbours) that they might turn the music down. c The main clause can be passive.

Our neighbours were persuaded to turn the music down.

b Verbs meaning 'cause' or 'help'

The crisis hasforced the government to act.

This portable phone enables me to keep in touch with the office.

We can use allow, authorize, cause, compel, drive, enable, forbid, force, get, help, intend, lead, mean, oblige, permit, require, teach, train.

NOTE

c Verbs meaning 'say' or 'think'

Thejudges announced the result to be a draw.

The police believed the Mafia to have committed the crime.

This pattern can be rather formal. We can use announce, assume, believe, consider, declare, discover, estimate, expect, feel, find, imagine, judge, know, presume, report, reveal, show, suppose, understand.

NOTE

a All these verbs can have a finite clause after them.

The police believed (that) the Mafia had committed the crime.

bWe often use the infinitive to be in this pattern. We can sometimes leave out to be, especially after declare, believe, consider and find.

The country declared itself (to be) independent.

cWe can use consider but not regard.

We consider ourselves (to be) a separate nation.

We regard ourselves as a separate nation.

dWe can use there as the subject of the infinitive clause.

We understood there to be money available.

eThe passive pattern is more common than the active. • 109

The Mafia were believed to have committed the crime.

We can use say and think in the passive pattern but not in the active.