Lecture Nine

1. Lecture Nine Verb and Verb Phrase (VI)

2. Non-finite verbs • not marked for tense or for subject-verb concord • Infinitive: to-infinitive, bare infinitive • I like to play tennis. • You’d better come earlier. • -ing participle • I enjoy listening to music. • -ed participle • I must have my car repaired.

3. Bare infinitive • You should do what you are told. • You’d better talk to him. • I would rather stay at home. • They cannot but accept our terms. • She could not help but cry at the news. • He told me he’d sooner stay at home than work. • I would (just) as soon give her a call. • We might just as well walk. • Rather tha ncause trouble, he left. • Sooner than mary that man, she would earn her living as a waitress.

4. They are making believe that they are princes and princesses. • We had no time for lunch, but we make do with sanwiches. • Don’t let go of the handle. • She left fly a torrent of abuse at him. • Such chances shoud never be let slip. • I’ve heard say that they are getting married. • I’ve heard tell of you around here.

5. We can’t let this go on. • I’ll have him repair the car for you. • She made him stay to tea. • I saw/observed/noticed him enter the room. • I didn’t hear him say that. • I felt the hosue shake. • You need to listen to him talk.

6. I have never known that man lie. • Have you ever known him tell a lie?

7. I’ll help you (to) solve the problem. • He helped the lady clean the windows. • He helped the poor old lady clean the windows. • He helped the lady who lived across the street to clean the windows.

8. All you need to do is go and propose to her. • They did nothing but/except wait. • What I’d like to do is give him a push.

9. Why argue with him? • Why not do it on your own? • Cf. I don’t know what to do. • when to come. • where to park the car. • who to ask. • whether to aske the question. • how to repair the car. • which to refer to for the details.

10. Go post a letter for me. • Come have a chat with me. • Try eat a little. • Try help him.

11. To-infinitive • Cf. He used to sit up late at night. • He is used to sitting up late at night. • Cf. John came to realize that housework was an important part of daily life. • When it came to helping his wife with the housework, John never grumbled. • Cf. She swore to tell the truth. • She swore to having told the truth.

12. Syntactic functions of to-infinitives • Object to a verb • He expected to be promoted. • We agreed to start early. • = We agreed that we would start • They claimed to be the owner of the car. • = They claimed that they were the owner of the car. • She promised to come and help. • agree, aim, apply, arrange, attempt, bother, choose,claim, condescend, desire, determine, hope, learn, manage, pretend, etc

13. He hates to be called Donald Duck. • He hates his friends to call him Donald Duck. • I intend to make a long stay here. • We didn’t intend them to act like that. • I prefer to work late in the morning. • I prefer my brother not to make any noise at night. • ask, can’t bear, hate, help, intend, like, prefer, want, wish, etc

14. Subject complement • To protect forests is to keep natural balance. • The little boy’s aim was to become a teacher.

15. Object complement • He expected his son to be a pianist. • I believe him to be an outstanding scientist. • We know this book to be very informative. • She doesn’t allow her husband to smoke in the house. • She doesn’t allow smoking in the house. • advise, allow, ask, believe, feel, encourage, forbid, force, imagine, think, require, etc

16. I saw the boy climb over the fence. • We all felt the house shake. • I won’t let you go alone. • We’ll have Tom help you. • see, hear, make, let, have, etc

17. Modifier of a noun • This is the best book to read. • There is nothing to talk about. • He is the only person to consult about your illness. • Columbus was the first person to set foot on the Amreican continent. • This was the last play to be performed that year.. • He has an impulse to jump over the fence.

18. He is too good a man to kill. • = He is too good a man for me to kill. • = He is too good a man to kill others. • Give me a list of people to invite/to be invited. • There is a lot of work to do. • The question to be discussed at the next meeting will be a hard nut to crack.

19. Subject in a clause • It is foolish of him to meet her again. • It was lucky (for him) to find a job.

20. Adverbial • I get up early to see the film. • He is too short to reach the top shelf. • We hurried to the station only to find the train had already left.