English Grammar for University Students. Part 4
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The active form of the Infinitive shows that the subject of the sentence, the person or thing characterised by the Infinitive, or the person or thing expressed in the Infinitive predicative construction is the doer of the action denoted by the Infinitive.
The passive form of the Infinitive shows that the subject of the sentence, the person or thing characterized by the Infinitive, or the person or thing expressed in the Infinitive predicative construction is affected by the action denoted by the Infinitive [Шрамко, Степанова, Кожемяка, 2008].
The use of the infinitive without the particle to (the bare infinitive)
The Infinitive is used without the particle to in the following cases:
1. After auxiliary verbs.
Do you like music?
Seldom do we witness such catastrophes.
Does anyone know where I left my diary?
2. After modal verbs (except ought to) and modal expressions had better, would rather, would sooner.
You must use some verbs more than once.
We’d better not borrow Diane’s books without asking her.
She’d sooner die than give up.
3. After verbs of sense perception (see, notice, watch, observe, hear, feel, smell, etc.) as a part of the Objective Infinitive Construction.
I watched him arrive.
We noticed her run away from the building.
Note, that in passive sentences with these verbs a to-Infinitive is used.
He was watched to arrive.
He was noticed to run away from the house.
4. After verbs of inducement (let, make, have) as a part of the Objective Infinitive Construction.
I made Peter wait outside.
John lets the dog sleep on the sofa.
But! Peter was made to wait outside.
5. After phrases with but (cannot but, anything but, nothing but).
I could not but congratulate him.
She can do everything but cook.
6. In why-sentences, both affirmative and negative, where it expresses a suggestion.
Why not take advantage of the situation?
Why go there so late?
Why make so much noise?
7. In cases when two Infinitives are joined by ‘and’ or ‘or’, bare Infinitive can be used.
I want to go out and have fun and relax.
Syntactical functions of the infinitive
The Infinitive may be used in a number of syntactical functions in which it may stand alone, form an Infinitive phrase or a predicative construction.
1. Subject
Non-perfect active forms are more widely used in this function.
To speak foreign languages well is an advantage.
To have got the job in the face of such stiff competition was a great achievement.
The subject expressed by the Infinitive may be introduced by the so-called introductory it, which stands at the beginning of the sentence.
It is sometimes difficult to accept the truth.
It may be advisable to consult a specialist.
The Infinitive is a part of a complex subject as a part of the Subjective Infinitive Construction.
He was seen toenter the room.
1. Part of the predicate
The Infinitive is used in predicates of several types, both nominal and verbal.
a) Predicative (part of a compound nominal predicate)
My dream is to travel around the world.
Sometimes doing the right thing is to do nothing at all.
b) Secondary predicative (part of a predicative)
She is easy to deal with.
He is nice to talk to.
The house is comfortable to live in.