The infinitive constructions

The infinitive may have a subject of its own within sentences. In this case it forms with it a construction called a complex.

We could mark out four infinitive constructions but only three of them are in frequent use:

1) The Complex Object

2) The Complex Subject

3) The For-To-Infinitive construction

4) The Absolute Infinitive

1. The Complex Object (the Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction, Объектно-предикативный инфинитивный оборот) consists of a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the objective case and the Infinitive. It’s mostly translated into Russian by an object clause. (придаточным дополнительным предложением с союзами что, чтобы, как).

Subject + Predicate + Noun (Pronoun) + Infinitive

I want my parents to buy me a car.

She didn’t want her friend to catch a cold.

The Complex Object is used after the following groups of verbs:

1. Mental activity (to know, to think, to consider, to believe, to find, to trust, to mean, to expect etc.)

The verb to be is generally used after these verbs but it could be omitted after the verbs to consider, to find, to declare.

We expect him to solve this problem.

I don’t consider him (to be) a fair man.

2. Declaring (to pronounce, to declare, to report, to teach).

Breathing out, the surgeon pronounced the wound to be a slight one.

He declared the train to arrive at 5 o’clock.

3. Wish or intention (to want, to desire, to mean, to intend, to choose)

The colonel wants you to get in his office immediately.

He intended me to go with him to the Netherlands.

4. Feeling and emotion (to like, to hate, to dislike)

I hate you to talk in this way.

Mr. Domby would like his bosom friend to come to the party tonight.

5. Order and permission (to order, to allow, to suffer, to ask, to forbid)

Jane’s father suffered his daughter to play with Tom. Отец Джейн не охотно разрешил своей дочери поиграть с Томом.

6. Sense perception (to hear, to see, to watch, to feel, to observe)

After such verbs bare infinitive is used. (no «to» is used before the verb)

I saw him get off the train at Wembley Park.

I felt the blood rush into my cheeks.

NOTE 1

If the action was fully competed (from the very beginning up to the very end) we use bare infinitive after sense perception verbs.

I saw him cross the street. (A person saw the whole action)

If the action was not completed and is still in progress, we use Participle 1 after sense perception verbs.

I saw him crossing the street (The action was in progress when I saw him).

NOTE 2

The verbs to see and to hear could not belong to sense perception verbs in some cases and are used in the different meaning. In these cases to see means to understand and to hear denotes to learn, to be told. Herewith the mentioned verbs are followed by a clause but never by the Infinitive construction.

I saw that she didn’t realize the danger.

I heard that he had left for the south.

NOTE 3

Bare Infinitive is used after the following phrases:

1) let smb do smth

My mother doesn’t let me play football.

2) make smb do smth

It is very hard for parents to make their children study English.

SEE THE DIFFERENCE: