THE INFINITIVE

FUNCTION
The most common uses of the infinitive are:
To indicate the purpose or intention of an action (where the 'to' has the
same meaning as 'in order to' or 'so as to'):
She's gone to collect her pay cheque.
The three bears went into the forest to find firewood.
s the su!"ect of the sentence:
To be or not to be, that is the question.
To know her is to love her.
(ote: this is more common in written !nglish than spoken"
#ith nouns or pronouns$ to indicate what something can !e used for$ or
what is to !e done with it:
#ould you like something to drink$
% haven't anything to wear.
The children need a garden to play in.
fter ad"ecti%es in these patterns:
It is + adjective +to-infinitive
%t is good to talk
It is + adjective + infinitive + for someone + to-infinitive.
%t is hard for elephants to see mice
It is + adjective + infintive + of someone + to-infinitive.
%t is unkind of her to say that.
fter an ad"ecti%e & noun when a comment or "udgement is !eing made:
%t was a stupid place to park the car.
This is the right thing to do.
%t was an astonishing way to behave.
#ith too and enough in these patterns:
too much/many (+ noun) + to-infinitive
There's too much sugar to put in this bowl.
% had too many books to carry.
too + adjective + to-infinitive
This soup is too hot to eat.
She was too tired to work.
too + adverb + to-infinitive
&e arrived too late to see the actors.
enough (+ noun) + to-infinitive
%'ve had enough (food" to eat.
adjective + enough + to-infinitive
She's old enough to make up her own mind.
not enough (+noun) + to-infinitive
There isn't enough snow to ski on.
not + adjective + enough + to-infinitive
'ou're not old enough to have grand(children)
THE INFINITIVE
'( Form
The infinitive is the base form of a verb. %t may be preceded by 'to' (the to-infinitive) or
stand alone (the base or zero infinitive).
)( Infiniti%e with or without *to'
The to(infinitive is used:
a. after certain verbs. e.g. want, wish, agree, fail, mean, decide, learn
b. after the au*iliaries to be to, to have to, and ought to
c. in the pattern 'it is + ad,ective + to-infinitive'
!*amples:
with *to'
The elephant decided to marry the mouse
The mouse agreed to marry the elephant
'ou wi++ ha%e to as her
'ou are to leave immediately
&e ought to rela!
She has to go to -erlin ne*t week
It*s eas, to s"ea !nglish
It is hard to change ,obs after twenty years
It*s stupid to believe everything you hear
without *to'
% wou+d rather visit .ome.
She wou+d rather live in %taly.
#ou+d ,ou rather eat steak or fish$
&e wou+d rather wor in a bank.
I*d rather be a forest than a tree.
THE INFINITIVE
INFINITIVE FTE- .UE/TION #O-0/
These verbs: as, decide, e!"lain, forget, now, show, tell,understand, can be
followed by a question word such as where,how, what, who, when or 'whether' & the
*to1infiniti%e*.
!*amples:
She asked me how to use the washing machine.
/o you understand what to do$
Tell me when to press the button.
%'ve forgotten where to put this little screw.
% can't decide whether to wear the red dress or the black one.
The question word #h, is followed by the 2ero infiniti%e in suggestions:
!*amples:
#hy wait until tomorrow$
#hy not as him now$
#hy wal when we can go in the car$
#hy not buy a new bed for your bedroom$
#hy leave before the end of the game$
#hy not s"end a week in -eirut and a week in -aghdad$
THE INFINITIVE
NE3TIVE INFINITIVE
To form the negative infinitive, place not before the to- or $ero infinitive:
e.g. not to worry%
%t's hard not to worry about e*ams.
!*amples:
% decided not to go to 0ondon.
&e asked me not to be late.
!lephants ought not to marry mice.
'ou'd better not smile at the crocodile.
%'d rather not eat meat.
THE INFINITIVE
OTHE- FO-4/
The infinitive can have the following forms:
The perfect infinitive
The continuous infinitive
The perfect continuous infinitive
The passive infinitive
NOTE: as with the present infinitive, there are situations where the to is omitted,
e.g. after most modal au*iliaries.
The perfect infiniti%e:
to have + "ast "artici"le, e.g. to have broken, to have seen, to
have saved.
This form is most commonly found in Type 1 conditional
sentences, using the conditional perfect, e.g. %f % had known you
were coming % would have baked a cake.
!*amples:
Someone must have broken the window and climbed in.
% would like to have seen the Ta, 2ahal when % was in
%ndia.
&e pretended to have seen the film.
%f %'d seen the ball % would have caught it.
The continuous infiniti%e:
to be + "resent "artici"le, e.g.to be swimming, to be joking, to
be waiting
!*amples:
%'d really like to be swimming in a nice cool pool right now.
'ou must be ,oking)
% happened to be waiting for the bus when the accident
happened.
The perfect continuous infiniti%e:
to have been + "resent "artici"le
!*amples:
to have been crying
to have been waiting
to have been painting
The woman seemed to have been crying.
'ou must have been waiting for hours)
&e pretended to have been painting all day.
The passi%e infiniti%e:
to be + "ast "artici"le, e.g. to be given, to be shut, to be
opened
!*amples:
% am e*pecting to be given a pay(rise ne*t month.
These doors should be shut.
This window ought to be opened.
THE INFINITIVE
VE-5/ NO-4667 FO66O#E0 57 THE INFINITIVE
C( These are the most common of the verbs followed by a to-infinitive, with or
without a noun.
!*ample:
% asked him to show me the book.
% asked to see the book.
ask8
beg8
choose
dare
desire8
elect
e*pect8
help
mean8(3intend"
request8
want
wish8
The verbs marked 8 can also be followed by a that-clause
ote:
dare: %n negative and interrogative sentences the infinitive with or without 'to' is
possible, though it is more common to omit the'to':
% never dared tell him what happened.
/are you tell him the news$
#ould you dare (to" ,ump out of a plane$
!*amples:
#e've chosen 4ohn to represent the company at the conference.
The elephant didn't mean to tread on the mouse.
#e e*pect you to do your best in the e*am.
/o you want to go to the beach$
/o you want me to go with you to the beach$
'ou are requested to be quiet in this library.
THE INFINITIVE
VE-5/ NO-4667 FO66O#E0 57 THE INFINITIVE
( The to-infinitive is used after the verbs in this group, without a preceding noun.
The verbs marked 8 can also be followed by a'that-clause'
!*ample:
VE-5 TO1INFINITIVE
% hope... to see you ne*t week.
T&5T( 6057S!
% hope... that %'ll see you ne*t week







afford
agree8
aim
appear 8
arrange8
bother
care
claim8
condescend
consent
decide8
demand8
determine8
endeavour
fail
guarantee8
happen 9
hasten
have (3 be obliged"
hesitate
hope8
learn
long
manage
offer
prepare
pretend8
proceed
promise8
propose
prove (3 turn out"
refuse resolve8
seek
seem 9
strive
swear8
tend
threaten8
trouble
undertake
volunteer
vow8
9 These verbs can only be followed by a 'that-clause' when they have the
sub,ect 'it'. e.g. It appeared that no-one had locked the door.
!*amples:
&e claimed to be an e*pert.
% managed to reach the top of the hill.
% know you're only pretending to love me)
/on't pretend that you know the answer.
She failed to e*plain the problem clearly.
The customs man demanded to search our luggage.
% can't afford to go out tonight.
THE INFINITIVE
VE-5/ NO-4667 FO66O#E0 57 THE INFINITIVE
5( These are the most common of the verbs that are normally followed by a noun +
infinitive. The verbs marked 8 may also be followed by a 'that-clause'.
!*ample:
VE-5
NOUN
INFINITIVE
&e reminded me to buy some eggs.
T&5T(6057S!
&e reminded me that % had to buy some eggs.
accustom
aid
appoint
assist
cause
challenge
command8
defy
direct8
drive
empower
enable
encourage
entice
entitle
entreat
force
get
implore8
incite
induce
inspire
instruct8
invite
lead
leave (make someone responsible"
oblige
order8
persuade8
press
prompt
provoke
remind8
require8
stimulate
summon
teach
tell
tempt
trust8
warn8
otes:
command, direct, entreat, im"lore, order, re&uire, trust:
there is no noun between these verbs and a 'that-clause':
The general commanded his men to surrender.
The general commanded that his men should surrender.
"ersuade and remind:
there is always a noun between these verbs and a 'that-clause':
'ou can't persuade people to buy small cars.
'ou can't persuade people that small cars are better.
instruct, teach, warn:
the noun is optional between these verbs and a 'that-clause':
She taught her students to appreciate poetry.
She taught her students that poetry was valuable.
She taught that poetry was valuable.
!*amples:
The professor challenged his students to argue with his theory.
This law empowers the government to charge more ta*es.
'ou can't force me to do something % don't agree with.
'ou are obliged to drive on the left in !ngland.
% invited the new student to have dinner with me.
#hat inspired you to write this poem$
The elephant told the mouse to climb up his tail.
THE INFINITIVE
The 2ero infiniti%e is used:
a. after most au*iliaries (e.g. must, can, should, may, might)
b. after verbs of perception, (e.g. see, hear, feel) with the patternverb + object
+ $ero infinitive
c. after the verbs 'make' and 'let' , with the pattern mae/let + object + $ero
infinitive
d. after the e*pression 'had better'
e. after the e*pression 'would rather'
when referring to the speaker's own actions

!*amples:
fter au:i+iaries:
She can*t s"ea to you.
&e shou+d give her some money.
/ha++ % tal to him$
#ou+d you lie a cup of coffee$
% might stay another night in the hotel.
They must leave before 9:.:: a.m.
fter %er!s of perception:
&e saw her fall from the cliff.
#e heard them close the door.
They saw us wal toward the lake.
She fe+t the spider crawl up her leg.
fter the %er!s *ma;e* and *+et*:
&er parents +et her stay out late.
6et*s go to the cinema tonight.
'ou made me love you.
/on't ma;e me study that boring grammar book)
NOTICE that the 'to-infinitive' is used when 'mae' is in the passive voice:
% am made to swee" the floor every day.
She was made to eat fish even though she hated it.
fter *had !etter*:
#e had !etter tae some warm clothing.
She had !etter as him not to come.
'ou*d !etter not smile at a crocodile)
#e had !etter reserve a room in the hotel.
'ou*d !etter give me your address.
They had !etter wor harder on their grammar)
fter *wou+d rather*:
Note: this is ON67 when referring to the speaker's own actions ( see *wou+d
rather* in section on Unrea+ past.