Transcript Document

Lecture 19
Infinitive (I)
Teaching Contents
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19.1 Forms of the infinitive
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19.2 Some few notes on the use of
the infinitive sign
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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.
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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:
a) The bare infinitive is generally used to follow the
modals including need and dare.
 ---You must do as you are told.
 *In the case of need, it should be followed by a toinfinitive when it is used as a main verb.
 ---We needn't stay here this evening. (modal)
 ---Do we need to stay here?(main verb)
 *In the case of dare, the infinitive sign is optional
when dare functions as a main verb.
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---She daren't go there alone. (modal)
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---Does she dare (to) go there alone? (main verb)
b) The bare infinitive is used to follow semi-auxiliaries.
 ---I happened to be out 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 soon go by train as drive.
 ---He would rather listen to others than talk himself.
d) The bare infinitive is commonly used to follow rather
than and sooner than, especially when taking the initial
position.
 ---Rather than cause trouble, he left.
 ---Sooner than marry that man, she would earn her
living as a waitress.
 *But when taking other positions , the following
infinitive may be with or without to.
 ---He decided to go fishing rather than stay in the
dormitory.
 ---The manager believes it is important to invest in
new machinery rather than to increase wages.
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 criticize his 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 tell him everything.
g)The bare infinitive usually occurs after "sense verb +
object". The sense verbs include see, hear, observe,
 notice, feel, watch, look at and 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 enter the building.
h) The bare infinitive is used after “have known+object”
（看过，听过）
 ---I have never known that man smile .
i) The bare infinitive often appears after help or "help +
object", but to-infinitive is also possible.
 ---Can I help (to) lift that 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.
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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。
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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.
j) The bare infinitive usually appears after the
preposition except / but when 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.
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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.
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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.
k) The bare infinitive also appears after "why / why
not?”.
 ---Why argue with him?
 ---Why not give Mary some flowers?
l) The bare infinitive can also be used in the following
idiomatic expressions:
 ---Go post a letter for me.
 ---Come have a chat with me.
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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?
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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 toinfinitive 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 be or have, it
should be retained, even though its complementation
is omitted.
--- Aren't you the manager? No, I don't want to be.
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.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.
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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 on him and discuss this 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.
c. The infinitive sign cannot be omitted if there is no
coordinator between the coordinate infinitives.
 ---Please go to the seaside to swim, to get suntanned.
 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:
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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
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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