The Infinitive General Characteristics (Additional information for the exam)

Note 1: Particle “to” when used with the infinitive doesn’t commonly allow any words to be put between itself and the stem. Ocasionally, however, an adverb or particle may be inserted between them:

Ex: She doesn’t want to even see me.

1.3.1 Infinitive as subject (Additional Information)

Note 1. The function of the subject can be performed by the infinitive of any voice, aspect and correlation form, though the common aspect non-perfect active forms are naturally far more frequent than the other forms. The continuous aspect perfect active forms hardly ever occur.

Note 2. The predicate of the subject expressed by an infinitive always takes the form of the 3^rd person singular. And the predicate of the subject expressed by an infinitive is usually a compound nominal predicate with the link verb to be.

Not to go back was awful.

THE INFINITIVE AS PREDICATIVE (Additional Notes)

Note 1. The subject of the infinitive predicative is either an infinitive or a noun. In either case the infinitive is used with the particle to. With homogeneous predicatives the use of the particle varies. If the infinitives are not linked by the conjunctions the particle “to” is generally used with all of them.

My intention was to see her as soon as possible, to talk to her, to calm her.

If they are linked by the conjunction and or or, the particle “to”is generally used only with the first infinitive:

His plan was to ring her up at once, or even call on her.

Note 2. The predicative function is generally performed by the common non-perfect active forms of the infinitive, although sometimes passive forms also occur:

To be born in poverty was to be doomed to humiliation.

1.3.2 The infinitive as object (Additional Information)

Note 1. The infinitive can have the functions of object after verbs, adjectives, adjectivized participles and statives.

After verbs the infinitive may be either the only object of a verb or one of two objects.

Verbs that take only one object are: to agree, to arrange, to attempt, to care, to choose, to claim, to decide, to deserve, to determine, to fail, to fear, to expect, to fail, to hesitate, to hope, to learn, to like, to love, to manage, to mean, to neglect and etc.

She agreed to come at ten.

These verbs are generally used with the non-perfect forms of the infinitive. Some of the occur with perfect forms. Among them 2 groups of verbs:

1. the verbs to claim, to fail, to forget, to hate, to like, to omit, to regret, to remember, to swear

I regret to have said it to her.

b.) the verbs to attempt, to expect, to hope, to intend, to mean, to plan, to try which add to the perfect infinitive a modal colouring showing that the action of the infinitive is not fulfilled.

I hoped to have found him at home (но не нашёл)

There are also some rather common phrases used with the infinitive –object: can afford, can bear and such pharses as to make sure, to make up one’s mind, to take care, to take the trouble

Can you afford to buy it yourself?

2. Verbs that take two objects, the first of which is a noun or a pronoun and the second an infinitive. These are the verbs of inducement:

To advice, to allow, to ask, to beg, to cause, to command, to direct, to encourage, to forbid, to force, to have, to induce, to instruct, to let, to make, to order, to permit, to persuade, to recommend, to tell and etc.

Tell him to hurry.

What would you recommend me to do?

With all these verbs except to have, to let and make, the infinitive is used with the particle “To”. After to have, to let, to make it loses the particle.

Soon she made me see where I was wrong.

With some verbs the function of object may be performed by a conjunctive infinitive phrase.

1. Verbs that take either an infinitive or an infinitive conjunctive phras as their object. There are: to advise, to decide, to forget, to learn, to remember.

They advised me to go on. He advised me at last how to settle the matter.

2. Verbs that can take only a conjunctive infinitive phrase as their object: to know, to show, to wonder

She did not know what to say.

The infinitive as object can be used after certain adjectives:

1. anxious, apt, bound, careful, curious, determined, difficult, fit, free, hard, impatient, interested and etc.

She is determined to goo on. I’m powerless to do anything.

2, The adjectives fo the second group express certain psychological states which are the result of the action of the infinitive object.: amused, annoyed,astonished, delighted, distressed, frightened, furious, glad, grateful, horrified, pleased, proud, puzzled,relieved, scared, sorry, surprised, thankful touched.

He was amused to hear it.

THE COMPOUND VERBAL PREDICATE (Additional information)

The compound verbal predicate wich has no analogy in Russian. The 3 sybtypes of this predicate can be distinguished according to the structure which constitutes the first part.

1. The 1^st part is expressed by one of the following intransitive verbs in the active voice: to seem, to appear, to prove, to turn out, to happen, to chance.

The man seemed to have come from far off.

2. The 1^st part of the predicate is expressed by the passive voice forms of certain transitive verbs: a.) verbs of saying: to announce, to declare, to report, to say, to state.

She was announced to be the winner.

1. the verbs of mental activity: to believe, to consider, to expect, to find, to know, to mean ,to suppose and etc.

He’s supposed to be leaving tonight.

2. verbs of sense perception: to feel, to hear, to see, to watch

Soon he was heard to open the front door.

3. the verb to make.

He was made to keep silent.

3. The 1^st part is expressed by the phrases: to be likely, to be unlikely, to be sure, to be certain.

She is likely t

NON-FINITE FORMS OF THE VERB