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Lecture 19

Lecture 19 . Infinitive (I). Teaching Contents. 19.1 Forms of the infinitive 19.2 Some few notes on the use of the infinitive sign. 19.1 Forms of the infinitive

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Lecture 19

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  1. Lecture 19 Infinitive (I)

  2. Teaching Contents • 19.1 Forms of the infinitive • 19.2 Some few notes on the use of the infinitive sign

  3. 19.1 Forms of the infinitive • There are two types of infinitive:to-infinitive and bare infinitive. The bare infinitive is just the infinitive without to, which is identical in form with the base of the verb. • 1) Grammatical forms • The infinitive has neither tense distinction, nor person or number contrasts. But they can be passive and take the simple, progressive, perfective and perfective progressive forms. • e.g. I have a lot of work to do.

  4. She had no need to be worrying. • A negative infinitive is formed by adding not or never immediately before the infinitive sign to. • e.g. We decided not to buy that house. • 2) To-infinitive and bare infinitive • Infinitives commonly occur with to, but in some contexts it is necessary to use the bare infinitive, and in some other cases the infinitive sign is optional. Following is a summing up of the situations in which the bare infinitive is used:

  5. a) The bare infinitive is generally used to follow the modals including needand dare. • ---You must doas you are told. • *In the case of need,it should be followed by a to-infinitive when it is used as a main verb. • ---We needn't stayhere this evening. (modal) • ---Do we need tostayhere?(main verb) • *In the case of dare, the infinitive sign is optional when dare functions as a main verb. • ---She daren't gothere alone. (modal) • ---Does she dare (to) gothere alone? (main verb)

  6. b) The bare infinitive is used to follow semi-auxiliaries. • ---I happened to beout when he called. c) The bare infinitive is used to combine with such modal idioms as would rather, would sooner, would (just) as soon, may/ might (just) as well, cannot but, cannot help but,etc. • ---Since it's a fine day, we might as well walk. • *Likewise the bare infinitive is also used to follow "would rather ... than” and “would as soon ... as" . • ---I’d just as soongo by train as drive. • ---He would rather listento others than talkhimself.

  7. d) The bare infinitive is commonly used to follow rather thanandsooner than, especially whentaking the initial position. • ---Rather than causetrouble, he left. • ---Sooner than marrythat man, she would earn her living as a waitress. • *But when taking other positions , the following infinitive may be with or withoutto. • ---He decided to go fishing rather than stayin the dormitory. • ---The manager believes it is important to invest in new machinery rather than to increase wages.

  8. e) The bare infinitive is often combined with a main verb to form some fixed combinations such as: • make believe, let slip, let go (of), leave go (of), ect. • --- He did all that just to make believe. f) The bare infinitive usually appears after “causative verb + object”.(let, make, have) • ---He won't have us criticizehis work. • *But when occurring in the passive, the bare infinitive should be turned into a to-infinitive. • ---Jim made her tell him everything. • She was made to tellhim everything.

  9. g)The bare infinitive usually occurs after "sense verb + object". The sense verbs include see, hear, observe, • notice, feel, watch, look atand listen to. • ---I didn't hear you say that. • *But when occurring in the passive, it should be followed by a to-infinitive. • ---They saw him enter the building. •  He was seen to enterthe building. h) The bare infinitive is used after “have known+object”（看过，听过） • ---I have never knownthat man smile .

  10. i) The bare infinitive often appears after helpor "help + object", but to-infinitive is also possible. • ---Can I help (to) liftthat box? • Usually when the bare infinitive is used, it indicates that the helper (subject) participate directly in the action. When the to-infinitive is used, it indicates that the subject does not participate directly in the action. • ---They helped me carry the box. • --- These tablets will help you to sleep.

  11. In American English or in informal English, we often use the bare infinitive after help. • Or a long noun phrase used as object after help. • --- Help the little boy at the back of the hall to carry the box • help somebody do something vs. help somebody to do something • 有的语法书认为动词help的人称主语同它的人称宾语一起操作的，那两个不定式动词前可以省略to，若不是，就保留to。 • Please help me find a seat. 一起去找。 • Please help me to find a seat. 不是一起找。

  12. 这种方法不符合英语的实际情况。在英语里不存在如此区别。这种方法不符合英语的实际情况。在英语里不存在如此区别。 • The term technology refers to the discoveries and inventions that help people improve their way of life. 不是inventions和people一起去改善生活方式。 • 在这两个结构中，带to结构常见于英国英语中，而不带to结构常见于美国英语中。对于学英语的外国学生来说，在拿不准是否用to时，用to总不会错。 • e.g. I’ll help you solve it.

  13. j) The bare infinitive usually appears after the preposition except / butwhen there is a form of the main verb do before the preposition, which is otherwise followed by a to-infinitive. • ---They did nothing but wait. • ---There's no choice but to wait. • 几个介词后可以跟动词不定式 besides, except, but, save • He does everything in the house except/but put/putting the children to bed. • He can do everything except cook.

  14. Likewise, in some SVC constructions, if the subject contains a form of the main verb do, the infinitive in the complement may be with or without to . • ---The only thing I can do now is (to) go on by myself.充当表语的动词不定式省略不定式符号to是有条件的：在主语部分中必须含有动词do。 • e.g. What I did was learn the language. 所做过的事… • 当all做主语时，如果定语从句含有say充当表语的动词不定式，有时也可省略动词不定式符号to。 • e.g. All they said is hurry up. • 下列句子不能省略： • All I wanted was to help you.

  15. k) The bare infinitive also appears after "why / why not?”. • ---Why argue with him? • ---Why not giveMary some flowers? l) The bare infinitive can also be used in the following idiomatic expressions: • ---Go post a letter for me. • ---Come havea chat with me.

  16. L GSWE(pp. 738) 对语料统计后说: try to do结构是常见的、无标志(unmarked) 的选择,try and do 结构是一种口语的形式,在正式的书面语中通常不出现,即使在口语中,try to do 的结构也更常见；try and do更常见于英式英语。 • The discouse choice is not available when the verb “try” occurs with inflections such as “–ing” or “–ed”. • She was trying to prove a point. • *She was trying and proving a point. • Do you remember when we tried to make fluffy dogs? • * Do you remember when we tried and made fluffy dogs?

  17. 19.2 Some few notes on the use of the infinitive sign • 1) Infinitive sign used alone • a) To avoid repetition, the infinitive sign can sometimes be used alone, that is, the base in the to-infinitive can be omitted, sometimes together with its complementation. This kind of omission is quite common in informal style. • ---You may go if you wish to. • b) If the base of the infinitive is the verb beor have,it should be retained, even though its complementation is omitted. • --- Aren't you the manager? No, I don't want to be.

  18. .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。 • -- Would you like to come to a party? • -- I’d love to. • --Did you get a ticket? • – No, I tried to, but there wasn’t any left. • Want, like用在what, if, when, as引导的从句中时，to则常常省去。 • e.g. Come when you want.

  19. c) In some contexts, both the to-infinitive and its complementation can be omitted so that no trace remains of the infinitive. • ---You will make it if you try (to). • 2) Ellipsis of the infinitive sign • a. When two to-infinitives are coordinated by and or or, the second to is usually omitted. • ---I intend to call onhim and discussthis question again. • b. When there is a contrastive meaning, the second to must be retained. • ---To be or not to be,that is the question.

  20. c. The infinitive sign cannot be omitted if there is no coordinator between the coordinate infinitives. • ---Please go to the seaside to swim, to getsuntanned. • d. Nor can any infinitive sign be omitted if a sequence of infinitives occur in a parallel construction. • ---The student must learn to read extensively, to analyze what he reads and to summarize the main points presented. 3) Infinitive to or preposition to • If it is possible to put after to a noun or a noun equivalent, it proves to be a preposition; otherwise, it is an infinitive sign. Following is a summary of the collocations in which the item to is a preposition, not an infinitive sign:

  21. a) verb + preposition to, e.g. add to, attest to, contribute to, agree to • b) verb + noun / pronoun + preposition to: ascribe…to, devote….to • c) verb + -ed participle + preposition to: be accustomed to, be reconciled to, be reduced to • d) verb + adverb particle + preposition to (also called phrasal prepositional verb):get round to, look forward to

  22. e) adjective + preposition to: adjacent to, preferable to, similar to, sensitive to • f) noun + preposition to: key to, answer to • g) complex preposition ending in to: in addition to, with a view to, with an eye to

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