A special form of the verb - it is also called initial or indefinite - is the infinitive (from the Latin infinitivus - "indefinite").
It denotes a state and action that is not related to person, number, mood, or time.
This invariable form is easily recognizable by the suffixes TH, TI, CH, which are either at the end of the word or before the postfix SYA: walk, go, save, laugh.
In general, the infinitive can be called a "chameleon", it can be similar to nouns, to words of the state category. We can verify this when we analyze sentences with infinitives.
Do you need to know what an infinitive is? When will this knowledge be applied? Of course, it is important to have information about verb forms and apply them in practice. Firstly, when we do a morphological analysis of the verb, secondly, to determine its conjugation, thirdly, to choose the correct spelling of personal verb endings and, finally, to find out its syntactic role and not forget about putting a dash between the subject and predicate.
In addition, forms of the past tense (CHITA + L), forms of the conditional mood (WOULD DECIDE), some forms of participles (REVIEW + LOUS, CENSUS + NNY) and participles (WIN + IN, RETURN + LICE + S) are formed from the infinitive.
Every infinitive has only permanent signs:
- view (perfect/imperfect),
- transitivity,
- recurrence,
- conjugation.
When defining a view, we set questions: WHAT TO DO? (sing, carry, bake) and WHAT TO DO? (sing, bring, bake).
Transition the infinitive transfers the action to the subject, combined with nouns in Vin. case without a preposition (build a tower, take out tea, protect the homeland) and in Rod. case when negating or indicating a part of an object and a large amount (not finding a way, eating meat, picking berries).
Intransitive the infinitive can have the postfix СЯ / СЬ, then it is called reflexive (smile, take care, rush). The intransitive infinitive is combined with nouns in Dan., Creation., Proposition. cases (go to friends, chat with a friend, think about family), as well as in Vin. and Rod. cases with prepositions (enter the house, wait for a friend).
If we define the conjugation by the infinitive, then we do not forget about exception words. At I conjugation on IT: SHAVING and CUTTING; II has conjugations on ET and AT: see, look, twirl, offend, endure, hate, depend and drive, hold, breathe, hear) and in different conjugated forms (want, run, eat, give).
As a rule, we look at the last three letters: the I conjugation includes verbs in OT, UT, YTY (STICK, wither, blow, cover), where the verbal suffixes O, NU and even root vowels U, Y are in front of TH.
However, some of the verbs in AT, YAT, ET with the verbal suffixes A, I, E, which are usually referred to the first conjugation, are also characteristic of the second conjugation, for example: be silent - silent, STAND - stands, SIT - sits. The examples show that they can be recognized by the stressed personal endings of the conjugated forms. So, we use the check using the forms of the present tense.
The II conjugation mainly includes verbs in IT (repeat) and 11 exception verbs, which we have already listed above. But even here there are some features: the first conjugation includes a small group of infinitives with the root vowel AND (beat, drink, sew, rot).
Let's try to determine the conjugation of the verbs to be, go, sit down, go out, children, wander, go, reap. We form the plural forms of the present tense: to be - they will, to go - they go, to sit down - they sit down, to get out - they will go out, to children - denUt, to wander - they wander, to go - they go, to reap - they reap or press (meaningfully!). All of them have I conjugation, but their personal endings can be unstressed and stressed.
How does the infinitive behave in a sentence? In different ways, being not only a predicate, but also a subject, an addition, a definition and a circumstance. It denotes the subject of speech in a two-part sentence and acts as a subject: Smoking is harmful to health (compare: Smoking is harmful to health).
How to recognize the infinitive in this role? The first sign is the position in front of the predicate. The second is the absence of any dependence on other members of the proposal. The third sign - the infinitive can be replaced by a synonymous noun.
Consider examples:
1) Hunting on skis is very tiring. 2) It's not easy to please you.
The infinitive "to hunt" is in the first place in the sentence, does not depend on other words, is easily replaced by a noun: Hunting on skis is very tiring. But in the second example, such a replacement is impossible! We ask a question from the predicate, expressed by the category of state EASY, to the subject: it is easy (what?) to please.
It is not difficult to define the infinitive as a simple verbal predicate. Here we take into account that the form of such a predicate has the meaning of the future tense: I will ask you for help. The predicate consists of two words I WILL and ASK. This is a challenging future!
When defining a compound verbal predicate (it is also called "infinitive"!) we start from the principle: the infinitive carries the main meaning, and the auxiliary part consists of conjugated forms of modal words and phase verbs.
MODAL verbs, adjectives and words of the state category: be able, want, be able, prepare, decide, love, follow; must, must, ready, glad; it is possible, it is impossible, it is necessary, it is time.
PHASE verbs denote the beginning, continuation or end of an action: start, become, accept, continue, stop, end.
Let's analyze the examples:
1) She shouldn't think about him. 2) The girl stopped crying and wiped away her tears.
In the first case, a MODAL WORD is used, expressed short adjective, in the second - the PHASE verb "stopped".
The most dangerous thing is to confuse the compound verb predicate with the addition, which is the infinitive! In this case, he answers questions of indirect cases, is associated with an auxiliary verb with the meaning of a request / demand: asked, advised, helped, forced, ordered, persuaded, demanded. It can be replaced by a noun as an object.
In the examples (Grandfather forbade me to walk in the rain. He taught me to save words.) we replace auxiliary verbs with nouns and ask questions of indirect cases: forbade (vin. case: what?) walks; taught (Dan. case: what?) savings.
And besides this, we take into account that with the infinitive as a complement, actions are performed by different persons, and not by one person:
1) I decided to go to the village. 2) My grandfather told me to go to the village.
In the first sentence, "I" decided and I will leave myself, in the second - my grandfather ordered, and "I" will go.
The infinitive in the role of an inconsistent definition depends on the noun and is associated with it by adjunction: The habit of wandering overcame him. She asked to help her parents. We make a synonymous replacement: the habit (what?) of wandering; with a request (what?) for help. In this case, the connection between the words is control.
The infinitive as a circumstance expresses the meaning of the goal and answers the questions FOR WHAT PURPOSE? WHY? He is tied to auxiliary verb with the meaning of movement: he went to freshen up, in a hurry to get dressed, gathered to meet, sat down to write, went for a swim, invited to have dinner.
You can rebuild the sentence and make a synonymous replacement with the help of the adjective part of the NGN: I went to freshen up; hurries to get dressed; gathered to meet; sat down to write; left to bathe; invited to dinner.
Suppose, for syntactic analysis, sentences are given in which you need to find the infinitive and determine its syntactic function:
1) It was difficult to speak. 2) It was difficult to solve the problem. 3) It was decided to go to the village. 4) Waiting for an answer is not ordered. 5) Given to repair.
In the first two-part sentence, the infinitive "to speak" is at the very beginning, acting as the subject of the predicate "it was difficult."
In the second and third one-component impersonal sentences the infinitives "to decide" and "to go" are included in the compound nominal predicate.
In the fourth "I" I decided to go myself, of my own free will. Here the infinitive "wait" is an addition: waiting is not ordered (what?), "I" am waiting, but I am not ordered to wait.
In the fifth, the infinitive "repair" is a circumstance of the goal: given (why?) for repair.
As you can see, it is difficult to determine the roles of the infinitive, but it is possible. Let's move on to training. We propose to complete the task to determine the syntactic role of the infinitive. Then you can check your answers!
TASKS
1. What member of the sentence is the infinitive? Write your answer in words.
I told the driver to go. I advise you to return home. You asked me to tell about my project.
2. What member of the sentence is the infinitive? Write your answer in words.
Mtsyra had one desire to win. I got the opportunity to get to know my fellow traveler better.
Answer: ____________________________ .
3. What member of the sentence is the infinitive? Write your answer in words.
Answer: ____________________________ .
4. What member of the sentence is the infinitive? Write your answer in words.
The fishermen settled down on the bank of the river to fish. We stopped by to inquire about an upcoming tour.
Answer: ____________________________ .
5. What member of the sentence is the infinitive? Write your answer in words.
Fate cannot pour bounties alone. The roads began to crumble right before our eyes.
Answer: ____________________________ .
6. What member of the sentence is the infinitive? Write your answer in words.
Answer: ____________________________ .
7. What member of the sentence is the infinitive? Write your answer in words.
We started to work. You must apologize. Have you finished rewriting?
Answer: ____________________________ .
8. What member of the sentence is the infinitive? Write your answer in words.
Will he fight no more? We will be waiting for you. Dreams will be good.
Answer: ____________________________ .
9. What member of the sentence is the infinitive? Write your answer in words.
The desire to wander attacked him. I also had personal reasons to go on vacation to the Caucasus.
Answer: ____________________________ .
10. What member of the sentence is the infinitive? Write your answer in words.
Parents with children come to the park to relax. I went ashore to enjoy the scent of the sea.
Answer: ____________________________ .
ANSWERS
1.Addition.
2. Definition.
3. Subject.
4. Circumstance.
5. Compound verbal predicate.
6.Addition.
7. Compound verbal predicate.
8. Simple verbal predicate.
9. Definition.
10. Circumstance.
Literature
1. Glukhikh V.M. The Infinitive as a Member of a Sentence (Material for Parsing in a Pedagogical University) / Russian Language at School. - 2002. - No. 4.
2. Kazakova L.F. Studying the syntactic functions of the infinitive in the 7th grade / Russian language at school. - 1988. - No. 6.
3. Politova I.N. Phrases with a dependent infinitive as part of a sentence / Russian language at school. - 2009. - No. 1.
4. Sergeeva Zh.A. On the syntactic functions of the infinitive in sentences like Decided to go / Ordered to go / Russian language at school. - 2006. - No. 2.
5. Tukhvatulina S.I. Sentences like Riding fun and Fun skating in terms of semantic and intonational integrity /Russian language at school. - 2014. - No. 1.
That the gerund is a cross between a verb and a noun: reading - reading, leaving - departure.
The gerund can be any member of the sentence, including the complement. And today we will talk in detail about this function. Addition - a member of the sentence that complements the action and answers the questions of indirect cases: what? what? how? what? about what?
An example of a noun addition in Russian:
I'm planning (what?) moving;
I'm thinking (about what?) about moving.
An example of a gerund addition in English:
I'm tired of waiting. – I'm tired (of what?) of waiting.
I appreciate being polite to seniors. – I appreciate (what?) respect for the elderly.
Infinitive and gerund in English: rule
So the infinitive can also be an addition. This applies to both Russian and English. The infinitive is the initial form of the verb.
In Russian, he answers the questions: what to do? what to do?
IN English language is the particle form of the verb to(sometimes a particle can be omitted).
An example of an infinitive addition in Russian:
Igor asked his sister (about what?) help to him.
I made it (what?) to answer.
An example of an infinitive object in English:
She agreed to come back later. She agreed (to what?) to come back later.
He asked to change the ticket. – He asked (about what?) to change the ticket.
The question arises: how to determine when an infinitive is needed as an object, and when a gerund? Let's figure it out.
1. Need to remember: infinitive and gerund, list of verbs
Let's start with a simple one: it is customary to use a gerund with some verbs, and an infinitive with others. That's all. You just need to memorize these verbs.
⠀
Verbs followed by a gerund
| ⠀Verb | ⠀Example |
| ⠀to admit (to admit) | ⠀He admitted committing the crime. He confessed to the crime. |
| ⠀to appreciate (appreciate) | ⠀I appreciate being polite to seniors. ⠀ I appreciate the polite attitude towards the elderly. |
| ⠀to avoid (avoid) | ⠀Please avoid speeding! ⠀ Please don't speed! (=avoid exceeding) |
| ⠀to consider (consider) | ⠀They consider traveling without children. They are thinking about traveling without children. |
| ⠀to delay | ⠀He delayed visiting a doctor. He put off going to the doctor. |
| ⠀to deny (reject) | ⠀They denied selling the house. They refused to sell the house. |
| ⠀to keep (keep, store) | ⠀He kept asking silly questions. He kept asking stupid questions. |
| ⠀to miss (miss) | ⠀She misses living with her parents. ⠀She misses the time when she lived with her parents.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ |
| ⠀to suggest (offer) | ⠀They suggested moving to another town. They offered to move to another city. |
| ⠀to quit (throw) | ⠀He quits working. He is quitting his job. |
| ⠀to finish (finish) | ⠀We finished renovating our flat. ⠀ We have finished renovating the apartment. |
| ⠀to practice (to practice) | ⠀He needs to practice reading before the exam. He needs to practice reading before the exam. |
| ⠀to imagine (to imagine) | ⠀A girl imagines being a princess. The girl imagines that she is a princess. |
| ⠀to risk (risk) | ⠀You risk getting a bad mark. You run the risk of getting a bad grade. |
| ⠀to mind (object) | ⠀Do you mind opening the window? ⠀ Could you open the window? |
| ⠀to enjoy (enjoy) | ⠀He enjoys swimming in the sea. He enjoys swimming in the sea. |
⠀
The gerund is also used after the verb go, if we are talking about some kind of pastime, active activities: Let's go swimming!
The gerund is often used after phrasal verbs, for example: to look forward to, to give up, to put off and etc.
⠀
List of verbs with infinitive
| ⠀Verb | ⠀Example |
| to agree (agree) | She agreed to come back later. She agreed to return later. |
| to appear (seem) | He appeared to be a decent person. He seemed like a decent person. |
| to be able (to be able) | I won't be able to make it. I can not do it. |
| to can afford (to be able to afford) | We can't afford to travel more than once a year. We cannot afford to travel more than once a year. |
| to choose (choose) | She chose to enter a university. She chose to go to university. |
| to decide (decide) | They decided to start up their own business. They decided to start their own business. |
| to expect (expect) | I expected them to call. I was expecting a call from them. |
| to hope (hope) | They hoped to get a loan. They hoped for a loan. |
| to learn (teach) | Mary learned to swim when she was at a summer camp. Mary learned to swim when she was at summer camp. |
| to manage (to be able) | He managed to escape from the police. He was able to elude the police. |
| to offer (offer) | A manager offered to change the soup when I saw a fly in it. The manager offered to change the soup when I saw a fly in it. |
| to plan (plan) | I plan to start learning Italian soon. I'm going to start learning Italian soon. |
| to prepare (to prepare) | She prepared to welcome her new relatives. She prepared to greet her new relatives. |
| to pretend (pretend) | He pretended not to see me to avoid an awkward situation. He pretended not to see me to avoid an awkward situation. |
| to promise (promise) | Jack promised not to beat other children at school. Jack promised not to hit other kids at school. |
| to refuse (refuse) | A student refused to retake a test. The student did not agree to retake the test. |
| to seem (seem) | She seems to care a lot about her health. She seems to be very concerned about her health. |
| to tend (to have a trend) | Prices tend to rise these days. Prices have been on the rise lately. |
| to want (want) | He wants to find out more about special offers. He wants to know more about special offers. |
| to would like, would prefer, would love (prefer) | I would like to get some information about your services. I would like to receive information about your services. |
⠀
In order for all these cases to be “deposited in the subcortex”, we advise you to periodically go through our grammatical training:.
2. Verbs followed by both the infinitive and the gerund
The next point is more complicated: there are verbs after which you can use both the gerund and the infinitive.
What's so difficult? The fact is that some of these verbs will change meaning depending on whose company they are in - in the company of a gerund or an infinitive.
⠀
Verbs that change meaning: gerund and infinitive table in English
|
to remember |
|
| remember doing = to remember something. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I remember leaving my cell phone on the table. (I remember exactly that I left my phone on the table) |
remember to do = remember, do not forget. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Remember to take your keys before you go out. (Don't forget to take your keys before you go to work). |
|
to forget |
|
| forget doing = to forget / not have the strength to forget about something that has already happened. I will never forget meeting her. It changed all my life! (I will never forget…) |
forget to do = forget to do something in the present or recent past. I think I forgot to turn off the iron. (I think I forgot to turn it off...) |
|
to regret |
|
| regret doing = to regret something that has already happened. I regret talking to her that way! (I regret talking to her like that!) |
regret to do = to regret something you have to do now. We regret to inform you that you have not been admitted to Johns Hopkins University. (We regret to inform you, we have to inform…) |
| stop doing = stop doing something completely. I finally stopped eating at night! (I finally stopped eating at night!) |
stop to do = stop one action in order to start doing something else. He stopped to ask for directions. (He stopped to ask for directions) |
|
to go on |
|
| go on doing = keep doing something, the same action. After a break shewent on talking about her health. (After the break, she continued to talk about her health) |
go on to do = continue but switch from one activity to another. She, first, melted chocolate, added butter and thenwent on to make icing. (She first melted the chocolate, added the butter and continued making the frosting) |
| try doing = try to do something, as an experiment. She tried learning English but gave up after a while. (She tried to learn English, but gave up after a while). |
try to do = try to do a difficult action, try, and make a significant effort. I tried to work, but couldn't because of a terrible headache. (I tried to work, but due to a terrible headache, I couldn't). |
⠀
Verbs that do not change meaning
There are other verbs that are also used with both the gerund and the infinitive. But they do not change the meaning significantly: begin, continue, prefer, start, hate, love, like.
She sneezing begins every time she sees a cat.
She begins to sneeze every time she sees a cat.
(She starts sneezing every time she sees a cat).
After verbs advise, allow, recommend, encourage, permit You can also use both the gerund and the infinitive. BUT! If after the main verb there is an object (to whom the action is directed), then we use the infinitive:
Mum allowed me to stay overnight at my friend's place. (Mom allowed to me spend the night with a friend).
If there is no object, then use the gerund:
Mum allowed staying overnight at my friend's place. (Mom allowed an overnight stay with a friend).
3. A few more points: gerund and infinitive in English
There are a few more uses of the gerund and the infinitive that are worth remembering.
⠀
Gerund: example sentences
– After suggestions.
If there is a preposition after the verb, then we use the gerund. These are the suggestions: for, before, without, by, about, of, from, in.
I'm interested in drawing. – I am interested in drawing.
⠀
The use of the infinitive in English
– After adjectives in phrases like: It is good (important, happy, hard, etc.) to…
It is nice to see you again. - It's good to see you again.
– With question words in statements.
I don't know how to open this door. I don't know how to open this door.
– To express the purpose of an action.
I came here to meet you. - I came here (why?) to meet you (although this is no longer an addition, but a circumstance).
To summarize: the use of the infinitive and gerund
– Gerund is something between a verb and a noun. The infinitive is the initial form of a verb that answers the question "what to do?".
– The infinitive and gerund can be used as complements in a sentence, in which case they are placed after the main verb.
– There are verbs that are always followed by a gerund: admit, avoid, consider etc. You just need to remember them.
– Other verbs are always followed by an infinitive: agree, choose, decide etc. They also need to be remembered.
– Another group of verbs - those after which there can be both an infinitive and a gerund, while the meaning of the verb itself will change: remember, forget, stop and etc.
– To our delight, there are also verbs after which you can use both forms of the verb without significant damage to the meaning: love, hate, begin and etc.
Infinitive and Gerund in English: Exercises
Yes, there is a lot of information, and just memorizing it will not work. You need a lot of practice, which we will gladly provide you.
To get started, go through. From it you will learn about the Complex Object (a complex addition), which I did not dwell on today, and a few more nuances of using the infinitive and gerund.
And then periodically to bring the choice of the desired form to automatism.
Conclusion: infinitive and gerund
That's all for today. Next month, as part of this grammatical series of articles, you and I will discuss another mysterious entity - the verbal noun. Let's compare it with the already familiar and native gerund. See you!
Legend:
1 - the verb can be followed by an infinitive or optional noun + infinitive;
2 - a gerund can follow the verb or infinitive, but the meaning changes;
3 - a gerund can follow the verb or infinitive, the meaning changes only slightly.
| Verb | Example |
| agree agree |
Tom agreed to help me. Tom agreed to help me. |
| appear seem to impress |
His health appeared to be better. His health seemed to improve. |
| arrange arrange, arrange, take action |
Naomi arranged to stay with her cousin in Miami. Naomi did everything to stay in Miami with her cousin. |
| ask ask, ask |
She asked to leave. She asked to leave. |
| begin start off |
He started to talk. He began to speak. |
| can't bear can't bear, can't endure |
He can't bear to be alone. He can't stand being alone. |
| can't stand can't bear, can't endure |
Nancy can't stand to work the late shift. Nancy hates working night shifts. |
| care to have a wish |
He doesn't care to participate in the activity. He does not want to take part in this activity. |
| stop suspend, stop |
The government ceased to provide free healthcare. The government stopped providing free health care. |
| choose decide to prefer |
I chose to help. I decided to help. |
| claims assert, declare |
She claimed to be a princess. She claimed to be a princess. |
| continue continue |
She continued to talk. She continued to speak. |
| decide solve |
We decided to go to Hawaii. We decided to go to Hawaii. |
| demand require |
He required to speak to Mr. Harris. He demanded to speak to Mr. Harris. |
| deserve deserve |
He deserves to go to jail. He deserves jail. |
| expect expect, expect, believe |
They expect to arrive early. They expect to arrive early. |
| fail not to fulfill, not to do, not to be able to, not to succeed |
He failed to get enough money to pay for the new project. He failed to raise enough money for a new project. |
| forget forget to do something |
I forgot to lock the door when I left. I forgot to lock myself when I left. |
| get (be allowed to) be able, be allowed, allow |
Debbie gets to go to the concert next week! Why can't I? Debbie can go to the concert next week, but I can't! Why? |
| happen happen, happen |
She happened to be at the bank when it was robbed. She happened to be at the bank when the robbery happened. |
| hate dislike, hate |
He hates to clean dishes. He hates washing dishes. |
| hesitate hesitate, hesitate |
She hesitated to tell me the problem. She hesitated to tell me about the problem. |
| hope hope |
I hope to begin college this year. I hope to go to college this year. |
| intend intend, assemble |
We intend to visit you next spring. We are going to visit you next spring. |
| learn learn |
I learned to speak Japanese when I was a kid. I learned to speak Japanese when I was still a child. |
| like love, like |
Samantha likes to read. Samantha loves to read. |
| love love, adore |
We love to scuba dive. We love scuba diving. |
| manage succeed, succeed |
He managed to open the door without the key. He managed to open the door without a key. |
| need need, require, need |
I need to study. I need to study. |
| neglect miss out on doing something |
She neglected to tell me the date of the meeting. She didn't tell me the date of the meeting. |
| offer offer to offer to do something |
Frank offered to drive us to the supermarket. Frank offered to take us to the supermarket. |
| plan plan, intend |
We plan to go to Europe this summer. This summer we are planning to go to Europe. |
| prefer prefer |
He prefer to eat at 7 p.m. He prefers to eat at 7 pm. |
| prepare cook, prepare |
They prepared to take the test. They were preparing for the test. |
| pretend pretend, pretend, pretend |
The child pretended to be a monster. The child pretended to be a monster. |
| promise promise |
She promised to stop smoking. She promised to quit smoking. |
| propose suggest |
Drew proposed to pay for the trip. Drew offered to pay for the trip. |
| refuse refuse, refuse |
The guard refused to let them enter the building. The guard refused to let them into the building. |
| regret regret, regret (about what the speaker is going to say) |
I Regret to inform you that your application was rejected. I regret to inform you that your application has been rejected. |
| remember remember to remember to do something |
Did you remember to lock the door when you left? Did you forget to lock yourself when you left? |
| seem seem to look |
Nancy seemed to be disappointed. Nancy seemed upset. |
| start start off |
margin started to talk really fast. March began to speak very quickly. |
| wear promise, swear |
She swore to tell the truth. She swore to tell the truth. |
| tendency have a penchant for something |
He tends to be a little shy. He is a little shy. |
| threaten threaten, threaten |
He threatened to leave forever. He threatened to leave forever. |
| try try, try |
Mary tried to lift the table, but it was too heavy. Mary tried to lift the table, but it was very heavy. |
| wait wait |
She waited to buy a movie ticket. She was waiting to buy a movie ticket. |
| want to want |
I want to study Spanish. I want to study Spanish. |
| wish wish, want |
I wish to stay. I want to stay. |
| would like wish, wish ( usually translated with the particle “would”) |
We would like to start now. We would like to start. |
In the process of learning English, many people notice that some sentences may contain several verbs following one after another, as, for example, here: I must have refused to come. As many as four verbs in a row! And this is not the longest sentence.
When such clusters of verbs appear, it is quite logical to ask the question: how can you guess in what form a verb should be put? The answer to it will be such a thing as management. The fact is that after some English verbs an infinitive is placed (that is, a verb with a particle to ), and after others - gerund (that is, a verb with the ending ing ). It is a pity that these verbs will again have to be crammed, because there is no logic and it is impossible to guess whether the infinitive or gerund comes after this verb.
So, verbs followed by an infinitive.
Table 1. English verbs followed by the infinitive. Examples
|
Verb with to-infinitive |
Example |
|
Agree- agree |
Jane AGREED TO GO out. - Jane agreed to take a walk. |
|
Ask - ask |
Why don't you ASK him TO HELP? Why don't you ask him for help? |
|
Choose - choose |
Finally, he CHOSE TO FORGIVE her. In the end, he chose to forgive her. |
|
Decide - decide |
The principal DECIDED TO BUY a new school bus. The principal of the school decided to buy a new bus. |
|
Expect - expect |
We didn't EXPECT you TO COME. We didn't expect you to come. |
|
Hope - hope |
They HOPE TO FINISH the project soon. - They hope to complete the project soon. |
|
Know - know |
Alan KNOWS how TO REPAIR the car. Alan knows how to fix a car. |
|
Learn - to study |
Students will soon LEARN how TO TRANSLATE these texts. - Students will soon learn to translate such texts. |
|
Need - need |
I NEED TO PASS this test. - I need to pass this test. |
|
Offer - to offer |
The driver OFFERED TO BRING the secretary home. - The driver offered to drive the secretary to the house. |
|
Plan - plan |
Where are you PLANNING TO GO this summer? Where are you planning to go this summer? |
|
Prepare - prepare |
The football players are PREPARING TO COMPETE in the World Cup. - Players are preparing to compete in the World Cup. |
|
Promise - to promise |
Children always PROMISE TO BEHAVE well. - Children always promise to behave well. |
|
Refuse - refuse |
Jane REFUSED TO SIGN the contract. Jane refused to sign the contract. |
|
Seem - to seem |
She SEEMS TO BE a good girl. - She seems like a good girl. |
|
Want - want |
The board wants to buy new stocks. - The board wants to buy new shares. |
|
Would like - would like |
WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN me? - Would you like to join me? |
As you can see, there are very few of these verbs, and most of them are already familiar to you from previous lessons.
Now let's move on to verbs with gerunds.
Table 2. English verbs followed by a gerund. Examples
|
Verb withing-gerund |
Example |
|
Advise- advise |
The doctor ADVISED GOING out more often. - The doctor advised me to walk more. |
|
Dislike - notbe in love |
I really DISLIKE BEING punished! - I don't like being punished! |
|
Enjoy - enjoy |
Dear visitors, ENJOY STAYING at Rose Hotel! - Dear visitors, enjoy your stay at the Rose Hotel! |
|
Finish - finish |
How soon will you FINISH WRITING the report? - Will you finish writing the report soon? |
|
Imagine - imagine |
IMAGINE LOSING all your friends. - Imagine that you lost all your friends. |
|
The teacher RECOMMENDED STUDYING more. - The teacher recommended to study more. |
|
|
Regret - to regret |
Kyle REGRETS TELLING you that. - Kyle regrets telling you that. |
|
Suggest - offer |
Rachel SUGGESTED GOING to a restaurant. Rachel suggested going to a restaurant. |
|
understand - understand |
Why can't you UNDERSTAND my REFUSING to stay here? - How can you not understand that I refuse to stay here? |
|
Agree on - agree |
The parties AGREED ON PROLONGING the contract. - The parties agreed to extend the contract. |
|
Apologize for - to apologizebehind… |
Can't you just APOLOGIZE FOR DOING that to her? "Can't you just apologize to her for this?" |
|
Approve of - approve |
The president doesn't APPROVE OF TAKING such tough measures. - The President does not approve of the adoption of such harsh measures. |
|
Argue about - argue about ... |
The teens were ARGUING ABOUT INVITING their classmate out. The teenagers were arguing about how to ask a classmate out on a date. |
|
Ask about - askabout… |
ASK George ABOUT WRITING a recommendation. - Ask George about how to write a recommendation. |
|
Believe in - believein… |
Many people don't BELIEVE IN CHANGING the world. - Many people do not believe in changing the world. |
|
Blame for - blame for ... |
Who is to BLAME FOR FAILING the elections? Who is to blame for losing the election? |
|
Consist of - consistfrom… |
The process CONSISTS OF PREPARING and LAUNCHING a new program. - The process consists of preparing and launching a new program. |
|
Depend on - dependfrom… |
This will DEPEND ON STARTING the reform. - It will depend on the beginning of the reform. |
|
Plan on - plan |
PLAN ON SPENDING an hour in our clinic. - Plan to spend 1 hour in our clinic. |
|
Prepare for - prepareto… |
You should PREPARE FOR ASKING questions. You need to be ready to ask questions. |
|
Take part in - participatein… |
Not so many people TOOK PART IN DISCUSSING the coming changes. - Few took part in the discussion of the coming changes. |
If you carefully study these two tables, you will certainly notice a couple of controversial points.
Firstly, in both tables there is a verb to offer -. The first is followed by the gerund, and the second by the infinitive. What is the difference?
- Suggest is to propose an idea, to put forward an idea. He suggested going to the theatre. - He suggested going to the theater (that is, he put forward an idea).
- offer is to offer a service. He offered to drive her home. - He offered to give her a ride home (that is, he did her a favor).
Secondly, both tables include the same English verbs, for example, plan , prepare , agree etc. How to figure out where the infinitive is placed, and where the gerund is? Note that in the second table these same verbs are given with prepositions. So - after the prepositions we have only the gerund. For the rest, there is no difference.
Third, you didn't find the verb like in tables. The thing is that after it, both the infinitive and the gerund can be used:
- She likes to swim = She likes swimming
Infinitive in English is an impersonal form. Like the verb, the infinitive names the action, but unlike the verb, it does not indicate the person and number. In its basic form (Simple Infinitive), the infinitive answers the questions: what to do? what to do?
to purchase - purchase.
The infinitive is also called the "indefinite form of the verb" or "the initial form of the verb."
Table: forms of the infinitive in English (briefly)
The infinitive can have 4 forms in the active voice and 2 in the passive voice.
However, the most common and relevant for study is the form “simple infinitive in active voice” (to ask). In fact, when they say “infinitive”, usually, in most cases, I mean exactly this form - most of this article is devoted to it.
Below we will look at the same table again and analyze each form in detail, but first we need to clarify two more points:
- The infinitive comes with and without the particle to.
- How is the negative form of the infinitive formed?
After that, we will return to the analysis of each form.
Infinitive with to and without to
The infinitive can be used with or without to:
- I want to help you. - I want to help you.
- I must help you. - I have to help you.
Most often, the infinitive is used with to, however, there are a number of cases when the infinitive is used without the to particle, they apply to all forms of the infinitive(i.e. all forms from the table above). I note that most often the infinitive without to occurs after modal verbs, other cases are quite rare.
1. After modal verbs (most common)
Negative form of the infinitive
negative form formed by a particle not- it is placed before the infinitive. If the infinitive is with the particle to, the negation of not is placed before it.
I decided not to go to London. I have decided not to go to London.
He asked me not to be late. He asked me not to be late.
I might not come. - I may not come.
All forms of the infinitive in English (detailed)
Let's look at all the forms of the infinitive again:
There are six forms in the table:
1. Simple Infinitive:
I want to ask you - I want to ask you.
2. Simple Infinitive Passive:
I want to be asked- I want to be asked.
3.Continuous Infinitive:
I happened to be asking her about you when you came in. “It so happened that I asked her about you when you came.
4. Perfect Infinitive:
You could have asked me first - You could ask me first.
5. Perfect Infinitive Passive:
She could have been asked by anybody - Anyone could ask her.
6. Perfect Continuous Infinitive:
He seems to have been asking wrong people - Looks like he was asking questions to the wrong people.
Please note that the most common, necessary and important form for studying is Simple Infinitive. In second place - Simple Infinitive Passive. Other forms are used less frequently.
Forms Perfect And Perfect Continuous(i.e. those where there are have) – largely overlap with the topics “ and . If you already know these topics, you will see familiar things, but just from a different angle - everything is explained in more detail below.
Simple Infinitive - simple infinitive (the most necessary form)
The most common and important form of the infinitive for learning is the simple infinitive in the active voice (Infinitive Indefinite Active or Simple Infinitive Active). It is used to refer to an action that:
1. Occurs simultaneously with the action of the main verb:
tell him to stop. - Tell him to stop.
2. Refers to the future tense:
I want you to come with me tomorrow. - I want you to come with me tomorrow.
3. Regardless of the time of commission:
To know such tricks are useful. – Knowing such tricks is useful.
Let's name the main cases of its use.
1. With verbs that do not give the full meaning
The infinitive is often used in combination with verbs that do not make the full sense without it, for example:
- tell- to say / order something,
- Begin- start,
- Continue- continue,
- want- to want,
- Intend- to intend
- try- try, try
- Hope- to hope
- Promise- to promise
- Decide- to decide, to make a decision.
I want to see your permission. - I want to see your permission.
Do you promise to quit smoking? Do you promise to quit smoking?
Nina decided not to sing the agreement. Nina decided not to sign the agreement.
I'll try to help you. - I'll try to help you.
These verbs include modal verbs. I remind you that after them the infinitive is used without the to particle:
I must see your permission. - I need to see your permission.
Can you quit smoking? - Can you quit smoking?
2. To indicate the purpose of the action
In Russian, when it is necessary to express the purpose of an action, we say “to” or “with a purpose”. In English we use the infinitive:
she came to collect her letter. She came (to) pick up her letter.
We came to help you. We have come (to) help you.
I am calling to ask you about dad. - I'm calling you (to) ask about dad.
You sister has gone to finish her homework. Your sister left to finish her homework (left to finish).
In this case to can be replaced by union in order to(with a purpose), the meaning will be the same, but sentences with in order to sound more formal.
You sister has gone in order to finish her homework. Your sister left to complete her homework.
3. Infinitive as subject
As a subject, the infinitive is used in formal speech, more often written.
to be or not to be, that is the question. To be or not to be, that is the question.
To know her is to love her. To know her is to love her.
To visit the Grand Canyon is my life-long dream. “Visiting the Grand Canyon has been my lifelong dream.
to understand statistics, that is our aim. “Understanding statistics is our goal.
4. To indicate the purpose of the subject
If I had known you were coming I would have baked a cake. If I had known that you were coming, I would have baked a pie.
You could have helped him. You could have helped him (but you didn't).
In the case of the verb should there is a hint of regret or reproach:
What should have taken more gas. - We should have taken more gasoline (but, unfortunately, we did not take it).
You should have been prepared for anything! You should have been ready for anything! (but you weren't and that's why you let us down)
Perfect Continuous Infinitive - an infinitive denoting a long-perfect action
Scheme: to have been + Present Participle. Example: to have been talking.
This form is used in the following cases:
1. Long completed action
The infinitive denotes a long action that was performed, but ended before the action expressed by the verb.
The woman seemed to have been crying. The woman looked like she was crying.
He pretended to have been working all day. He pretended to work all day.
2. After modal verbs must, may, should
An assumption is expressed that a certain long-term action took place, but has already ended.
You must have been waiting hours! You must have been waiting for hours!
They might have been talking before you came in. They must have been talking before you came in.
In the case of a modal verb should there is a hint of regret or reproach that some long-term action could occur, but in reality did not occur.
You should have been studying for your test. You should have studied for the test (but you didn't).
Note:
Please note that in all Perfect forms of the infinitive, that is, in forms where there is have, the word itself have never takes shape has, as is the case with the verb in the personal form. Word have in this case, it is part of the infinitive, therefore it cannot be related to a person and a number, therefore it cannot take a personal form has(has = 3rd person, singular).
He has fox. - He has a fox.
The has form is used, because it is a personal form (3rd person, singular) of the verb.
He might have fox. He may have a fox.
Here have- infinitive, it has no person and number.
Friends! People often ask me, but now I am not engaged in tutoring. If you need a teacher, I HIGHLY recommend - there are native (and non-native) teachers there👅 for all occasions and for every pocket😄 I recommend this site, because I myself have gone through more than 80 lessons with the teachers I found there - and I advise try you!
