Infinitive

InfinitiveTheinfinitiveofaverbisthebasicform,forexample,do,be,take,andeat.Theinfinitiveisoftenusedwithtoinfrontofit.1Formsoftheinfinitive2Notesontheuseoftheinfinitivesign3Combinationsofinfinitiveswithadj./n./v.1Formsoftheinfinitive2typesofinfinitive:to-infinitive&bareinfinitive.1)Grammaticalformsnodistinctionsoftense,personornumberdistinctionsofaspectandvoiceActivevoicePassivevoiceSimple一般式Perfective完成式Progressive进行式Perfectiveprogressive完成进行式towritetohavewrittentobewritingtohavebeenwritingtobewrittentohavebeenwritten//e.g.Shehadnoneedtobeworrying.negativeinfinitive:not/neveretc.+theinfinitivesigntoe.g.Wedecidednottobuythathouse.2)To-infinitiveandbareinfinitiveInfinitivescommonlyoccurwithto,butinsomecontextsitisnecessarytousethebareinfinitive,andinsomeothercasestheinfinitivesignisoptional.①themodals+thebareinfinitivee.g.Youmustdoasyouaretold.cf.Weneedn'tstayherethisevening.(modal+bareinfinitive)Doweneedtostayhere?(mainverb+to-infinitive)Shedaren'tgotherealone.(modal+bareinfinitive)Doesshedare(to)gotherealone?(mainverb+to-infinitive)②semi-auxiliaries+bareinfinitivee.g.Ihappenedtobeoutwhenhecalled.③modalidioms+bareinfinitivewouldrather,wouldsooner,would(just)assoon,may/might(just)aswell,cannotbut,cannothelpbut,etc.e.g.Sinceit'safineday,wemightaswellwalk.wouldrather...than,wouldassoon...as+bareinfinitivee.g.I’djustassoongobytrainasdrive.Hewouldratherlistentoothersthantalkhimself.④ratherthan,andsoonerthan+bareinfinitiveespeciallywhentakingtheinitialposition.e.g.Ratherthancausetrouble,heleft.Soonerthanmarrythatman,shewouldearnherlivingasawaitress.Butwhentakingotherpositions,thefollowinginfinitivemaybewithorwithoutto.e.g.Hedecidedtogofishingratherthan(to)stayinthedormitory.Themanagerbelievesitisimportanttoinvestinnewmachineryratherthan(to)increasewages.⑤mainverb+bareinfinitivetoformfixedcombinationsmakebelieve,letslip,letgo(of),leavego(of),ect.e.g.Hedidallthatjusttomakebelieve.⑥senseverb/causativeverb+object+bareinfinitivefeel,hear,listento,let,make,have,see,lookat,watch,notice,observe,etc.(一感觉二听三让四看)e.g.Ididn'thearyousaythat.Theysawhimenterthebuilding.Hewon'thaveuscriticizehiswork.Shewasmadetotellhimeverything.Hewasseentoenterthebuilding.(passive)⑦haveknown+object+bareinfinitive（看过，听过）e.g.Ihaveneverknownthatmansmile.⑧help+object+bareinfinitivebutto-infinitiveisalsopossiblee.g.CanIhelp(to)liftthatbox?★bareinfinitiveindicatingthatthehelper(subject)participatedirectlyintheactiontheto-infinitiveindicatingthatthesubjectdoesnotparticipatedirectlyintheaction.Cf.Theyhelpedmecarrythebox.Thesetabletswillhelpyoutosleep.⑨prepositionsexcept/but+bareinfinitivewhenthereisaformofthemainverbdobeforethepreposition,whichisotherwisefollowedbyato-infinitive.Cf.Theydidnothingbutwait.There'snochoicebuttowait.Likewise,insomeSVCconstructions,ifthesubjectcontainsaformofthemainverbdo,theinfinitiveinthecomplementmaybewithorwithoutto.e.g.TheonlythingIcandonowis(to)goonbymyself.WhatIdidwas(to)learnthelanguage.Cf.Alltheysaidishurryup.AllIwantedwastohelpyou.besides,except,but,save+bareinfinitiveHedoeseverythinginthehouseexcept/butput/puttingthechildrentobed.Hecandoeverythingexceptcook.⑩why/whynot+bareinfinitive?e.g.Whyarguewithhim?WhynotgiveMarysomeflowers?⑾bareinfinitiveinidiomaticexpressionsgo,come,try,etc.+bareinfinitivee.g.Gopostaletterforme.Comehaveachatwithme.2Notesontheuseoftheinfinitivesign1)InfinitivesignusedaloneToavoidrepetition,theinfinitivesigncansometimesbeusedalone,thatis,thebaseintheto-infinitivecanbeomitted,sometimestogetherwithitscomplementation.Thiskindofomissionisquitecommonininformalstyle.e.g.Youmaygoifyouwishto.★Ifthebaseoftheinfinitiveistheverbbeorhave,itshouldberetained,eventhoughitscomplementationisomitted.e.g.Aren'tyouthemanager?No,Idon'twanttobe.★在like,love,try,want,hope,hate,wish等动词后必须有to，to代表整个动词不定式短语。e.g.----Wouldyouliketocometoaparty?----I’dloveto.----Didyougetaticket?----No,Itriedto,buttherewasn’tanyleft.★want,like用在what,if,when,as引导的从句中，to常省去。e.g.Comewhenyouwant.★Insomecontexts,boththeto-infinitiveanditscomplementationcanbeomittedsothatnotraceremainsoftheinfinitive.e.g.Youwillmakeitifyoutry(to).2)Ellipsisoftheinfinitivesigna)Whentwoto-infinitivesarecoordinatedbyand/or,thesecondtoisusuallyomitted.e.g.Iintendtocallonhimanddiscussthisquestionagain.b)Whenthereisacontrastivemeaning,thesecondtomustberetained.e.g.Tobeornottobe,thatisthequestion.c)Theinfinitivesigncannotbeomittedifthereisnocoordinatorbetweenthecoordinateinfinitives.e.g.Pleasegototheseasidetoswim,togetsuntanned.d)Norcananyinfinitivesignbeomittedifasequenceofinfinitivesoccurinaparallelconstruction.e.g.Thestudentmustlearntoreadextensively,toanalyzewhathereadsandtosummarizethemainpointspresented.3)InfinitivetoorprepositiontoIfitispossibletoputaftertoanounoranounequivalent,itprovestobeapreposition;otherwise,itisaninfinitivesign.thecollocationsoftheprepositionto:a)verb+prepositionto,e.g.addto,attestto,contributeto,agreetob)verb+noun/pronoun+prepositionto:ascribe…to,devote….toc)verb+-edparticiple+prepositionto:beaccustomedto,bereconciledto,bereducedtod)verb