- •Table of contents
- •(Verbids, verbals)
- •Categories of Finite Forms of the Verb (revision)
- •Classification of non-finite forms of the verb (verbals)
- •V erbals
- •V erbals
- •Indefinite Continuous Perfect Non-Perfect Active Passive
- •Grammatical categories of participle I
- •General Characteristic of the infinitive
- •Double nature of the infinitive
- •Verbal Features of the Infinitive
- •A: Morphological features
- •B: Syntactical features
- •Nominal features of the Infinitive
- •Other functions of the Infinitive
- •Grammatical categories of the infinitive
- •Forms of infinitive
- •The infinitive as subject
- •1. The infinitive as the subject can either:
- •Infinitive as predicate
- •The infinitive as predicative
- •Part 1
- •Part 2
- •The infinitive as part of compound verbal modal predicate
- •Part 2
- •The infinitive as part of compound verbal aspect predicate
- •Not all these verbs have the same combinability:
- •T o stop
- •Task 15. Use either an infinitive or a gerund or both in the sentences below.
- •Module 2 the infinitive as object
- •To remember, to forget, to regret,
- •T o prefer
- •T o be afraid
- •C annot help
- •The infinitive as attribute
- •The infinitive can be introduced by a conjunction or preposition. In this function the attribute can be expressed by a conjunctive infinitive phrase with the following conjunctions:
- •The infinitive as an adverbial modifier
- •1. Adverbial Modifier of Purpose (Manner)
- •Compare
- •2. Adverbial Modifier of Result or Consequence
- •3. Adverbial Modifier of Comparison
- •4. Adverbial Modifier of Subsequent Events
- •5. Adverbial Modifier of Exception
- •6. Adverbial Modifier of Condition
- •7. Adverbial Modifier of Time
- •8. Adverbial Modifier of Attendant Circumstances
- •Group 1. Verbs of sense perception
- •Complex Object after these verbs is used in the following way:
- •Completed action
- •Complex Object is not used:
- •Translation
- •Group 2. Verbs of mental activity
- •Complex Object after these verbs is used in the following way:
- •Group 3. Verbs of wishes, intentions and emotions
- •Complex Object after these verbs is used in the following way:
- •Group 4. Verbs of inducement
- •Complex Object after these verbs is used in the following way:
- •Bare infinitive
- •Group 5. Verb of reporting and declaring
- •Complex Object after these verbs is used in the following way:
- •Group 6. Verbs denoting order, permission, prohibition and persuasion
- •Complex Object after these verbs is used in the following way:
- •Group 7. Certain phrasal verbs
- •(The infinitive as part of a compound verbal predicate of double orientation)
- •Group 1. Verbs of seeming or chancing with the general meaning of evaluation
- •Translation
- •Group 2. Verbs of sense perception
- •Complex Subject after these verbs is used in the following way:
- •Completed action
- •Action in progress
- •Group 3. Verbs of mental activity or perception
- •Complex Subject after these verbs is used in the following way:
- •Group 4. Verbs of reporting
- •Complex Subject after these verbs is used in the following way:
- •Group 6. Phrases with modal meaning
- •Complex Subject after these verbs is used in the following way:
- •Revision of the infinitive
- •Task 67. Paraphrase the sentences below using (if possible) one of the following constructions: a) Complex Object; b) Complex Subject; c) For-to-Infinitive Construction
- •Task 67. Replace the underlined phrases with an appropriate infinitive or infinitive construction.
- •Appendix: verbals
- •Infinitive and gerund
- •Verbs followed immediately by infinitive
- •Verbs followed by either gerund or infinitive without a change in meaning
- •Adjectives followed by infinitive
- •Set expressions used with infinitive
- •IV. Verbs commonly used with the gerund
- •Expressions always used with gerund
- •Verbs with prepositions commonly used with the gerund
- •Set phrases with prepositions commonly used with gerund
- •Gerund after certain nouns with prepositions Preposition ‘of’
- •Preposition ‘at’
- •Preposition ‘for’
- •Preposition ‘in’
- •Miscellaneous Prepositions
- •Gerunds after prepositions
- •Infinitive and gerund used with different meaning to stop
- •T o remember, to forget, to regret,
- •To mean
- •T o prefer
- •To like
- •T o be sorry
- •To be afraid, to dread, to fear
- •To afford
- •To consider
- •T o intend
- •To need
- •To advise to allow to recommend
- •To be interested
- •To imagine
- •Cannot help (used to say that it is impossible to avoid or prevent something)
- •Grammar terms glossary
Double nature of the infinitive
Verbal Features of the Infinitive
Verbal features of the infinitive can be divided into morphological and syntactical.
A: Morphological features
Morphological features of the infinitive are revealed through the following categories:
the category of voice, e.g.
The evening is the time to praise the day. (active voice) – Вечер – лучшее время, чтобы похвалить день. / Вечір - кращий час, щоб похвалити день.
To be praised by this strict teacher was a reward in itself. (passive voice) – Услышать похвалу от этого строгого учителя само по себе было наградой. / Почути похвалу від цього строгого вчителя саме по собі було нагородою.
the category of correlation, e.g.
I have no intention to keep you long. (non-perfect) – У меня нет намерения задерживать вас. / У мене немає наміру затримувати вас.
I am so distressed to have kept you waiting. (perfect) – Мне так жаль, что мне пришлось заставить вас ждать. / Мені так жаль, що мені довелося змусити вас чекати.
the category of aspect, e.g.
She promised to read this book quickly. (indefinite/ common/ simple)
She happens to be reading this book now. (continuous) – Дело в том, что она сейчас читает эту книгу. / Справа в тому, що вона зараз читає цю книгу
B: Syntactical features
Syntactical features of the infinitive are revealed through its combinability:
The infinitive takes objects like a finite verb, e.g.
To tell (who? - indirect object) Peter (what? – direct object) the truth was out of the question. – О том, чтобы сказать Питеру правду, не было и речи. / Про те, щоб сказати Пітеру правду, не було й мови.
The infinitive takes a predicative if it happens to be a link verb, e.g.
Mary didn’t want to look very happy, but she couldn’t help it. (‘to look’ is an object expressed by an infinitive which is at the same time a link verb for the predicative ‘happy’) = Мэри не хотелось выглядеть очень счастливой, но она ничего не могла с этим поделать. / Мэри не хотілось виглядати дуже щасливою, але вона нічого не могла із цим зробити.
It can be modified by adverbial modifiers like a finite verb, e.g.
To be heard I had to speak (how?) very loudly. (an adverbial modifier of manner) = Для того, чтобы меня услышали, мне пришлось говорить очень громко. / Для того, щоб мене почули, мені довелося говорити дуже голосно.
Nominal features of the Infinitive
The nominal features of the infinitive are only syntactical. Like a noun the infinitive can function in the sentence as:
subject, e.g.
To forget and forgive his behaviour was impossible.
predicative, e.g.
Tom’s greatest wish was to finish with all that unpleasant business as soon as possible.
object, e.g.
That was all Tina wanted (what?) to find out.
attribute, e.g.
I saw the chance (what kind of chance?) to escape into the garden.
adverbial modifier, e.g.
I merely came back (what for?) to water the roses. (adverbial modifier of purpose)