4. The Infinitive in the function of Object

4.1. V+INF:

both the main V and INF refer to the same subject and INF is the only object to the main verb

The Non-Perf. INF denotes a subsequent or simultaneous action and follows such verbs as

agree, arrange, attempt, care (=like), choose, claim, consent, decide, deserve, determine, dislike, expect, fail, fear, forget, hesitate, hope, intend, learn, like, long, love, manage, mean, neglect, offer, omit, pay, plan, prefer, pretend, refuse, regret, remember, scheme, seek, struggle, swear, tend, try, unite, wait:

She decided/wanted to see the manager. They deserved to win. Do not hesitate to call me. I feared to be late for the appointment. I hope to see you soon. We offered to help with the bags.

With the verb say in this pattern the implied subject of the INF is the speaker rather than the syntactic Subject:

Mr. Bryant said to put it through to you. Jerry said to tell you how sorry he is.

The Perf. INF denotes a completed action prior to the action of the main V. The main verbs may be such, as claim, fail, forget, hate, like, omit, regret, remember, swear, etc.:

Now I regret to have invited Don (… that I invited…). We remembered to have stopped at the place in summer two years before (… remembered that we had stopped…).

The Perf. INF denotes an intended or planned action after such verbs as attempt, expect, hope, intend, plan, try and its perfect form implies that the action was not carried out:

Leo meant to have told his brother of his determination to get married, and to ask his advice. We went into the great river Potomac; and there we intended to have settled first, though afterwards we altered our minds.

4.2. INF is one of the two objects; it refers to the personal object of the main verb

a) V+N/Pron +INF

b) V+N/Pron +Wh-pron+INF

c) V+N/Pron + whether + INF

Active INF is used after verbs of inducement or causative verbs with the general meaning “to cause, persuade smb. to do smth.” Some inducement verbs are: advise, allow, appoint, ask, assist, beg, bribe, command, compel, condemn, direct, elect, employ, encourage, forbid, force, help, impel, implore, induce, instruct, invite, lead, leave, order, permit, persuade, recommend, request, require, select, tell, urge:

They urged me to tell the truth. What did she recommend you to read for your test? They bribed the reporter to forget about what he had seen. The committee elected Sheila Davidson to represent the company at the city assembly.

After the verbs advise, instruct, remind, teach, tell, show INF can follow a wh-pronoun:

Tell the other students how to do the exercise. Alex taught me how to ride a bicycle. Please show us how to start the engine. I am asking for you to please teach me how to format my system.

Non-perfect active INF is used after the verbs advise, ask, show, tell, teach and in the indirect questions/requests with these verbs:

Can you advise me whether to register this letter? You haven’t told me whether to sign this form.  

4.3. V+Wh-pron+INF

A phrase containing Wh-Pron and INF may be used as an Obj. to the following finite verbs: consider, discover, hear (=learn), know, notice, observe, realize, and wonder:

He didn’t know where to go. He wondered what to buy Anne for Christmas.

4.4. VPh+INF

INF is used after certain verbal set phrases that are able to take an INF Obj.: can’t wait, can’t bear, can (not) afford, make up one’s mind, make sure, take the trouble (time, opportunity, etc.), take care:

Make sure to remember to come, it’s important. He took the opportunity to leave. She took the time to finish it properly. The city can easily afford to repair the street. He couldn't make up his mind which course to follow.

4.5. be+Adj /Stative + INF

There are sentences in which INF as Obj. follows nominal predicates containing Adjectives or Statives, that are used as Predicatives to the verb be:

- He is eager to please. He looks ready to start. ‘I’m sorry to have hurt you.

Note: The Subj. of the sentence names the performer of the action of INF (or the object of somebody else’s action in case the INF is Passive: They were pleased to have been given this opportunity). INF in this way is used after a number of adjectives and statives expressing a person’s state such as afraid, anxious, apt, careful, curious, determined, eager, fit, free, glad, inclined, keen, pleased, powerless, proud, ready, relieved, reluctant, sorry, surprised, touched, etc. One can come across inanimate Subj.: Our boiler is slow to get going in the mornings.

4.6. Find

+it+Adj+INF

INF is used as an object to some verbs of opinion, e.g. think, believe, suppose, find, etc. The object is extraposed it appears after the adjective and is introduced by the formal object ‘it’:

I find it important to let you know of these facts. They supposed it useless to argue over such trifles as Victor’s stamp collection.

Such sentences seem to result from the transformations of Complex Object sentences with INF:

I think/find that to read for your classes is very important à I think/find to read for your classes to be very important à I think/find it (to be) very important to read for your classes.