The verb tenses corresponding to the tenses of the infinitive are the follows
| Verb tenses | infinitive |
| He goes/will go | To go |
| He is going/will be going | To be going |
| He went/has gone/had gone/will have gone | To have gone |
| He was going/has been going/had been going/ | To have been going |
| He will have been going | To have been going |
Время, выраженное инфинитивом, носит относительный характер. The Present Infinitive выражает будущее действие или одновременное действие, выраженное сказуемым.
The Continuous Infinitive выражает действие длительного характера, одновременное с действием, выраженное сказуемым.
The Perfect Infinitive выражает действие, которое предшествует действию, выраженному сказуемым.
The Perfect Continuous Infinitive выражает действие, которое длилось в течение определенного периода времени до настоящего момента.
Перевод инфинитива на русский язык зависит от его функции в предложении. В роли подлежащего инфинитив стоит в начале предложения, перед сказуемым, и может переводиться неопределенной формой глагола, или существительным.
e.g. To think otherwise would be a mistake Думать по-другому было бы ошибкой.
To account for these variations is in principle simple. Объяснение этих изменений в принципе
простым.
В роли определения инфинитив обычно стоит после определяемого слова и обязательно переводится придаточным предложением, вводимым союзом который. При этом надо помнить, что инфинитив в форме Present infinitive можно переводить сказуемым в будущем времени и даже со словами должен, нужно, можно, независимо от времени сказуемого.
e.g. The curves to be presented in this Part were obtained on single- crystal samples.
Кривые, которые будут представлены в этой части, были получены на образцах монокристаллов.
В роли вводного члена инфинитив обычно стоит в начале предложения, всегда выделяется запятыми и может переводиться или деепричастием, или неопределенной формой глагола.
e.g. To sum up, we will present the table Подводя итог (чтобы подвести итог),приведем таблицу.
При переводе инфинитива в роли вводного члена предложения иногда приходится использовать связующие слова типа следует отметить, необходимо упомянуть и т.п.
e.g. To begin with, no general method will be given here. Для начала следует сказать, что никакого общего метода здесь не будет дано.
EXERCISES
1. Translate the sentences into Russian.
1) To construct an experiment of this kind seems nearly impossible.
2) We attempted to carry out this investigation.
3) To perform this work one must have all the necessary equipment.
4) Rotation spectra can be used to measure bond lengths.
5) With these conditions there are also opposing factors to be considered.
6) It is too urgent a matter to be postponed.
7) Some molecules are large enough to be seen on the electron microscope.
8) Thomas was the first to focus attention on this type of reaction.
9) Two numbers –latitude and longitude, for instance are enough to fix your position.
10) The important thing is to understand what you are doing, rather than to get the right answer.
2. Read the text and try to find infinitives in it and define its forms.
Newton tried to understand the relationships between objects and movement by thinking about a spinning bucket of water. At first when the bucket is turned, the water stays still even though the bucket moves. Then the water starts to spin as well. Its surface dips as the liquid tries to escape by creeping up the sides but it is kept in place by the bucket’s confining force. Newton argued that the water’s rotation could only be understood if it can be seen in the fixed reference frame of absolute space, against its grid. We could tell if the bucket was spinning just by looking at it because we would see the forces at play on it producing the concave surface of the water.
3. Change the sentences according to the model using too and the infinitive.
Example: The results are very numerous. They can’t be summarized in this paper.
The results are too numerous to be summarized in this paper.
1) The particle is so small that it cannot be seen.
2) This hypothesis is so doubtful that it cannot be discussed in this review.
3) This phenomenon is so rare that it cannot be satisfactorily explained.
4) The theory is so extensive that it cannot be given here.
5) The classification is so complicated that it cannot be used in practice.
6) The experiment is carried out so carelessly that it cannot be considered valid.
7) This problem is so complex that it cannot be solved at present.
8) The theoretical analysis is so complicated that it cannot be tested by experiment.
9) The data are so contradictory that they cannot be relied upon.
10) The applications of electricity are so numerous that they cannot be considered in this article.
4. Choose the correct form of the infinitive.
1. The direction of the magnetic force is found _____ different at different parts of the Earth’s surface.
a) to have been; b) to be; c)to being
2. For this reason it is hard _____ optimistic about the future of radiation as a method of treatment.
a) To be enough; b) to have been; c) to be too
3. …the action of its weight we may suppose this point to be its centre of gravity.
a) Eliminating; b)To eliminate; c)To have eliminated
4. The Sun appears to be a ball of yellow light too bright_____ directly.
a) To be gazed at; b) to gaze at; c) being gazed at
5. The gamma rays proved_____ true waves like X-rays, but of much shorter wavelength.
a) To have been; b) to be; c) being;
6. The immediate objective of the Apollo was_____ a man on the Moon and bring him back alive.
a) to have landed; b) to be landed; c) to land;
7. The results appeared to be lacking precision. To get better results another method should_____
a) to be applied; b) be applied; c) have been applied;
8. This means that one of these levels must_____ lower energy than before splitting.
a) have had; b) have; c) to have;
9. It turned out that a giant eruption of hot gases had taken place that day at the surface of the Sun, and it must_____ responsible for the strong radio signals coming from the west.
a) have been; b) be; c) to be;