UNIT 16: Infinitives

Infinitive or –ing (gerund)?

Sometimes many students confuse the use of infinitive between gerunds. Let’s analyze some examples and improve our English.

For example, only one of the following sentences is correct. Which one?

I dislike working late. (??)
I dislike to work late. (??)

Let´s define the infinitive:

Infinitives are defined as to + base form of the verb. They have several functions. Infinitives and infinitive phrases often perform the same functions as nouns.

For example:

· (to) go, (to) be,(to) ask, (to) fight, (to) understand, (to) walk .

Infinitives may occur with or without the infinitive marker "to". Infinitives without "to" are known as "bare infinitives".

For example:

· Help me open the door.

1. Used as subjects and subject complements.

To know me is to love me.
To live in Mancora is my lifetime dream.

2. Used as objects following certain verbs*.

I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated your present.
He hesitated to ask the embarrassing question.

3. Used as a shortened form of in order to.

You must take this medicine (in order) to get well.
I went to the restaurant to eat ceviche.

Infinitives can sometimes take objects of their own.

We hope to find the person who did this.
I was asked to make a dessert for the potluck dinner.

*These verbs are commonly followed by infinitives.

afford - beg - decide - forget - intend - mean - prepare - seem - threaten
agree - begin - demand - go - know -how - need - pretend - start - try
appear - care - deserve - happen - learn - neglect - promise - stop - volunteer
arrange - choose - desire - hate - like - offer - refuse - struggle - wait
ask - claim - expect - hesitate - love - plan - regret - swear - want
attempt - consent - fail - hope - manage - prefer - remember - tend - wish


OTHER FORMS

the infinitive can have the following forms:

1. The perfect infinitiveto have + past participle

For example: to have broken, to have seen, to have saved.This form is most commonly found in Type 3 conditional sentences, using the conditional perfect.

For example:

§ If I had known you were coming I would have baked a cake.
§ Someone must have broken the window and climbed in.
§ I would like to have seen the Taj Mahal when I was in India.
§ He pretended to have seen the film.
§ If I'd seen the ball I would have caught it.

2. The continuous infinitiveto be + present participle

For example: to be swimming, to be joking, to be waiting

Examples:

§ I'd really like to be swimming in a nice cool pool right now.
§ You must be joking!
§ I happened to be waiting for the bus when the accident happened.

3. The perfect continuous infinitiveto have been + present participle

Examples: to have been crying, to have been waiting, to have been painting

Examples:

§ The woman seemed to have been crying.
§ You must have been waiting for hours!
§ He pretended to have been painting all day.

4. The passive infinitiveto be + past participle

For example: to be given, to be shut, to be opened

Examples:

§ I am expecting to be given a pay-rise next month.
§ These doors should be shut.
§ This window ought to be opened.

NOTE: As with the present infinitive, there are situations where the "to" is omitted.

Examples

He claimed to be an expert.
Don't pretend that you know the answer.

OBSERVATIONS:

The infinitive form is always used after adjectives, for example:

- disappointed, glad, happy, pleased, relieved, sad, surprised

I was happy to help them.
She will be delighted to see you.

This includes too + adjective:

The water was too cold to swim in.
Is your coffee too hot to drink?

The infinitive form is used after adjective + enough:

He was strong enough to lift it.
She is rich enough to buy two.

ADV 5 Jesús Crispín