The infinitive is used in compound verbal predicates of three types
I. In a compound verbal modal predicate after the modal verbs can, may, might, ought, must, shall, should, will, would, need, dare, to be, to have, and expressions with modal meaning had better, would rather.
I can tell you nothing at all about him.
II. In a compound verbal phasal predicate after verbs denoting various stages of the action, such as its beginning, continuation, or end. These verbs (to begin, to come, to start, to continue, to go on, to cease, etc.) followed by a “to”-infinitive form a compound verbal phasal predicate.
Now I begin to understand you.
The verbs to begin, to continue and to start can also be followed by a gerund, although with a certain difference in meaning.
| He stopped to see what it was. Он остановился, чтобы посмотреть, что это такое. | . |
III. The compound verbal predicate of double orientation. The three subtypes of this predicate can be distinguished according to the expression of the first part:
1. The first part is expressed by one of the following intransitive verbs in the active voice: to seem - казаться; to appear - оказаться, казаться; to prove, to turn out - оказаться; to happen, to chance - случаться. After the verbs to prove and to turn out the infinitive is mostly nominal, that is presented by to be + noun or adjective. After the verbs to seem, to appear, to happen all types and forms of the infinitive are possible.
| He seems to be smiling. She appeared to have said all. |
2. The first part of the predicate is expressed by the passive voice forms of certain transitive verbs. They are:
a) verbs of saying: to announce, to declare, to report, to say, to state, etc.
| She was announced to be the winner. | Было объявлено, что победила она. |
b) verbs of mental activity: to believe, to consider, to expect, to find, to known, to mean, to presume, to regard, to suppose, to think, to understand, etc.
| She is believed to be a clever girl. . | Ее считают умной девушкой. (Считается, что она умная девушка.) |
c) verbs of sense perception: to feel, to hear, to see, to watch.
| Soon he was heard to open the front door. | Вскоре услышали, как он открыл парадную дверь. |
d) the verb to make.
| He was made to keep silent. | Его заставили молчать. |
3. The first part is expressed by the phrases: to be likely, to be unlikely, to be sure, to be certain. In this case only the non-perfect forms of the infinitive are used, with future reference.
She is likely to be late.
In all these three subtypes the “to” - infinitive is always used.
The infinitive as object
Leila had learned to dance at boarding school.
After the verbs to allow, to order, to ask, to beg, to request, to implore, to teach, to instruct we often find two objects, one of which is expressed by an infinitive.
He asked me to walk in.
The infinitive used as an object can be preceded by the introductory object it. The introductory object isn’t translated into Russian.
He found it impossible to leave the spot. – Он считал невозможным покинуть это место.
The infinitive as attribute
this function the infinitive always denotes a not yet fulfilled action, which is regarded as desirable, possible, advisable, necessary, etc.
The infinitive attribute can modify:
1. nouns, both abstract and concrete:
The best thing to do would be to go back. (самое лучшее, что можно было сделать ...)
2. indefinite, negative and universal pronouns in -body, -thing, - one (one):
Have you anything to offer me? (Вы можете мне что-нибудь предложить?)
3. substantivized ordinal numerals (especially first),
substantivized adjectives (next and last).
Jack was the first to come.
4. substantivized quantitative adjectives much, little, (no) more, (no) less, little more, enough:
I’ve no more to add.
5. the noun-substitute one:
I am not the one to run about and discuss my affairs with other people. (... кто может ...)
The infinitive as adverbial modifier
1. The adverbial modifier of purpose.
I think I will go to England to improve my English.
The infinitive as an adverbial modifier of purpose can be introduced by in order, so as.
In order to see her better he had to turn his head.
2. The infinitive used as an adverbial modifier of comparison refers to predicate groups including adjectives or adverbs in the comparative degree. The infinitive itself is introduced by than:
To give is more blessed than to receive.
3. The infinitive used as an adverbial modifier of time denotes an action which marks out the moment of time up to which or at which the action of the predicate is performed. Very often it has a secondary meaning of condition.
His father lived to be ninety. (lived till he was ...)
4. The infinitive can be used as adverbial modifier of result. This chiefly occurs after adjectives modified by the adverbs enough and too
I was too busy to see anyone
The infinitive as parenthesis
The infinitive used as parenthesis is usually part of a collocation, as in: to begin with, to be (quite) frank, to be sure, to make matters worse, to put it mildly, to say the least, to tell the truth etc.
To begin with, you have been lying to me all the time.