What is the infinitive form of a word

1. What is an infinitive?

An infinitive is a verb that functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb in order to express an opinion, purpose of an object or action, or answer the questions who, what, or why.

An infinitive usually begins with the word “to” and is followed by the base form of a verb (the simple form of the verb that you would find in the dictionary).

Examples of infinitives include to read, to run, to jump, to play, to sing, to laugh, to cry, to eat, and to go.

Remember that although infinitives are verbs, they do not function as verbs, instead they are used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Let’s look at some examples.

Infinitives as Nouns

Remember that a noun is a person, place, or thing. When an infinitive is used as the subject or direct object in a sentence, it functions as a noun.

The sentence’s subject performs the verb, while the sentence’s direct object receives the verb.

Example 1:

I love to sleep.

• In this sentence, the verb is “love.”
• Who or what receives the action of being loved? The infinitive “to sleep.”
• This makes “to sleep” the direct object of the sentence.
• In this case, the infinitive functions as a noun that expresses an opinion. It could be replaced with a person, place, or thing, as in, “I love pizza.”

Example 2:

To help others is so important.

• In this example, we have the verb “is.”
• Who or what is so important? The infinitive “To help.”
• In this case, the infinitive “to help” is the sentence’s subject.
• This means that the infinitive functions as a noun in this sentence.

2. Examples of Infinitives

Example 1

I really need to eat something.

• In this sentence, the verb is “need.”
• Who or what do I need? The infinitive “to eat.”
• “To eat” is the direct object of “need” because it receives the action.
• This is an example of an infinitive being used as a noun.

Example 2

We can’t play until we find a ball to throw.

• What is the purpose of the infinitive “to throw” in this sentence?
• It describes the noun “ball.” We don’t need just any ball, we need a ball “to throw.”
• Here, the infinitive is used as an adjective.

Example 3

Brenda left the camping trip early to recover from poison ivy.

• The infinitive in this example is “to recover.”
• What is the purpose of “to recover” in this sentence?
• It gives us more information about why Brenda left the trip early. It modifies the verb “left.”
• In this example, the infinitive functions as an adverb.

Example 4

Mom made my brother clean his room.

• This sentence uses the verb “made,” followed by the direct object “brother.”
• When the verb “made” is followed by an infinitive, the infinitive loses the “to.”
• It would be incorrect to write, “Mom made my brother to clean,” or, “Mom made to clean.”
• For this reason, the direct object is followed by the infinitive “clean” without the “to.”

3. Infinitives as Adjectives

An adjective is a word that modifies (adds to or describes) a noun. So infinitives function as adjectives when they modify or describe nouns in a sentence.

Example:

Joel wants a book to read.

• In this sentence, the verb is “wants” and the subject is the noun “book.”
• We also see the infinitive “to read.” What is the purpose of “to read” in this sentence?
• It describes the book; Joel isn’t looking for just any book, he’s looking for a book to read.
• In this sentence, the infinitive functions as an adjective.

4. Infinitives as Adverbs

Adverbs modify or describe adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs. They provide additional information about what, where, how, and to what extent or degree. Sometimes adverbs also answer the question, “Why?”

Infinitives function as adverbs when they are used to give more information about adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs in the sentence.

Example 1:

The students were excited to go on a field trip.

• In this sentence, the infinitive is “to go.”
• What is the purpose of “to go” in this sentence?
• The infinitive “to go” gives us more information about the adjective “excited”; it tells us what the students were excited about (going on a field trip).
• In this case, the infinitive functions as an adverb.

Example 2:

Mom is going to the store to buy dinner.

• In this sentence, the infinitive is “to buy.”
• What’s the purpose of “to buy” in this example?
• The infinitive “to buy” gives us more information about the verb “going”; it tells us why Mom is going to the store (to buy dinner).
• This is another example of how infinitives can function as adverbs.

5. Infinitives Without “To”

Almost always, infinitives begin with “to.” But infinitives lose the “to” when they follow these verbs:

• Feel
• Hear
• Help
• Let
• Make
• See
• Watch

These verbs are followed by a direct object, then by an infinitive without the “to.”

Example 1:

When I heard the alarm clock ring, I knew it was time to get up.

• This sentence uses the verb “heard” followed by the direct object, “alarm clock.”
• When infinitives follow the verb “heard,” they lose the “to.” We wouldn’t say, “I heard the alarm clock to ring,” or, “I heard to ring.”
• So, “alarm clock” is followed by the infinitive “ring” without the “to.”
• For this reason, this sentence correctly uses the infinitive without the “to.”

Example 2:

My mom helps me do my homework.

• This sentence uses the verb “helps” followed by the direct object “me.”
• When infinitives follow “helps,” they drop the “to.” In English, it doesn’t sound correct to write, “My mom helps me to do my homework,” or, “My mom helps to do.”
• So, “me” is followed by the infinitive “do” without the “to.”
• This is another correct example of using an infinitive without the word “to.”

6. Can You Split Infinitives?

Usually, no other word should come between “to” and the base verb that follows it. When this does happen, you get a split infinitive.

For example, you might say:

Ryan hopes to quickly eat his dinner so he won’t miss his favorite show.

In this case, the word “quickly” splits the infinitive “to eat.”

Some English teachers will tell you that you should never split an infinitive, while others might tell you that it’s okay, especially in informal writing. When in doubt, simply avoid splitting the infinitive.

In the example above, you could avoid splitting the infinitive by instead writing:

Ryan hopes to eat his dinner quickly so he won’t miss his favorite show.

Remember that infinitives are formed with the word to + the base form of a verb. Although infinitives are formed using verbs, they don’t function as verbs in a sentence. Instead, infinitives can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

Infinitive (abbreviated INF) is a linguistics term for certain verb forms existing in many languages, most often used as non-finite verbs. As with many linguistic concepts, there is not a single definition applicable to all languages. The name is derived from Late Latin [modus] infinitivus, a derivative of infinitus meaning «unlimited».

In traditional descriptions of English, the infinitive is the basic dictionary form of a verb when used non-finitely, with or without the particle to. Thus to go is an infinitive, as is go in a sentence like «I must go there» (but not in «I go there», where it is a finite verb). The form without to is called the bare infinitive, and the form with to is called the full infinitive or to-infinitive.

In many other languages the infinitive is a distinct single word, often with a characteristic inflective ending, like cantar («[to] sing») in Portuguese, morir («[to] die») in Spanish, manger («[to] eat») in French, portare («[to] carry») in Latin and Italian, lieben («[to] love») in German, читать (chitat’, «[to] read») in Russian, etc. However, some languages have no infinitive forms. Many Native American languages, Arabic, Asian languages such as Japanese, and some languages in Africa and Australia do not have direct equivalents to infinitives or verbal nouns. Instead, they use finite verb forms in ordinary clauses or various special constructions.

Being a verb, an infinitive may take objects and other complements and modifiers to form a verb phrase (called an infinitive phrase). Like other non-finite verb forms (like participles, converbs, gerunds and gerundives), infinitives do not generally have an expressed subject; thus an infinitive verb phrase also constitutes a complete non-finite clause, called an infinitive (infinitival) clause. Such phrases or clauses may play a variety of roles within sentences, often being nouns (for example being the subject of a sentence or being a complement of another verb), and sometimes being adverbs or other types of modifier. Many verb forms known as infinitives differ from gerunds (verbal nouns) in that they do not inflect for case or occur in adpositional phrases. Instead, infinitives often originate in earlier inflectional forms of verbal nouns.^[1] Unlike finite verbs, infinitives are not usually inflected for tense, person, etc. either, although some degree of inflection sometimes occurs; for example Latin has distinct active and passive infinitives.

Phrases and clauses[edit]

An infinitive phrase is a verb phrase constructed with the verb in infinitive form. This consists of the verb together with its objects and other complements and modifiers. Some examples of infinitive phrases in English are given below – these may be based on either the full infinitive (introduced by the particle to) or the bare infinitive (without the particle to).

• (to) sleep
• (to) write ten letters
• (to) go to the store for a pound of sugar

Infinitive phrases often have an implied grammatical subject making them effectively clauses rather than phrases. Such infinitive clauses or infinitival clauses, are one of several kinds of non-finite clause. They can play various grammatical roles like a constituent of a larger clause or sentence; for example it may form a noun phrase or adverb. Infinitival clauses may be embedded within each other in complex ways, like in the sentence:

• I want to tell you that John Welborn is going to get married to Blair.

Here the infinitival clause to get married is contained within the finite dependent clause that John Welborn is going to get married to Blair; this in turn is contained within another infinitival clause, which is contained in the finite independent clause (the whole sentence).

The grammatical structure of an infinitival clause may differ from that of a corresponding finite clause. For example, in German, the infinitive form of the verb usually goes to the end of its clause, whereas a finite verb (in an independent clause) typically comes in second position.

Clauses with implicit subject in the objective case[edit]

Following certain verbs or prepositions, infinitives commonly do have an implicit subject, e.g.,

• I want to eat them as dinner.
• For him to fail now would be a disappointment.

As these examples illustrate, the implicit subject of the infinitive occurs in the objective case (them, him) in contrast to the nominative case that occurs with a finite verb, e.g., «They ate their dinner.»
Such accusative and infinitive constructions are present in Latin and Ancient Greek, as well as many modern languages. The atypical case regarding the implicit subject of an infinitive is an example of exceptional case-marking. As shown in the above examples, the object of the transitive verb «want» and the preposition «for» allude to their respective pronouns’ subjective role within the clauses.

Marking for tense, aspect and voice [edit]

In some languages, infinitives may be marked for grammatical categories like voice, aspect, and to some extent tense. This may be done by inflection, as with the Latin perfect and passive infinitives, or by periphrasis (with the use of auxiliary verbs), as with the Latin future infinitives or the English perfect and progressive infinitives.

Latin has present, perfect and future infinitives, with active and passive forms of each. For details see Latin conjugation § Infinitives.

English has infinitive constructions that are marked (periphrastically) for aspect: perfect, progressive (continuous), or a combination of the two (perfect progressive). These can also be marked for passive voice (as can the plain infinitive):

• (to) eat (plain infinitive, active)
• (to) be eaten (passive)
• (to) have eaten (perfect active)
• (to) have been eaten (perfect passive)
• (to) be eating (progressive active)
• (to) be being eaten (progressive passive)
• (to) have been eating (perfect progressive active)
• (to) have been being eaten (perfect progressive passive, not often used)

Further constructions can be made with other auxiliary-like expressions, like (to) be going to eat or (to) be about to eat, which have future meaning. For more examples of the above types of construction, see Uses of English verb forms § Perfect and progressive non-finite constructions.

Perfect infinitives are also found in other European languages that have perfect forms with auxiliaries similarly to English. For example, avoir mangé means «(to) have eaten» in French.

English[edit]

Regarding English, the term «infinitive» is traditionally applied to the unmarked form of the verb (the «plain form») when it forms a non-finite verb, whether or not introduced by the particle to. Hence sit and to sit, as used in the following sentences, would each be considered an infinitive:

• I can sit here all day.
• I want to sit on the other chair.

The form without to is called the bare infinitive; the form introduced by to is called the full infinitive or to-infinitive.

The other non-finite verb forms in English are the gerund or present participle (the -ing form), and the past participle – these are not considered infinitives. Moreover, the unmarked form of the verb is not considered an infinitive when it forms a finite verb: like a present indicative («I sit every day»), subjunctive («I suggest that he sit«), or imperative («Sit down!»). (For some irregular verbs the form of the infinitive coincides additionally with that of the past tense and/or past participle, like in the case of put.)

Certain auxiliary verbs are defective in that they do not have infinitives (or any other non-finite forms). This applies to the modal verbs (can, must, etc.), as well as certain related auxiliaries like the had of had better and the used of used to. (Periphrases can be employed instead in some cases, like (to) be able to for can, and (to) have to for must.) It also applies to the auxiliary do, like used in questions, negatives and emphasis like described under do-support. (Infinitives are negated by simply preceding them with not. Of course the verb do when forming a main verb can appear in the infinitive.) However, the auxiliary verbs have (used to form the perfect) and be (used to form the passive voice and continuous aspect) both commonly appear in the infinitive: «I should have finished by now»; «It’s thought to have been a burial site»; «Let him be released»; «I hope to be working tomorrow.»

Huddleston and Pullum’s Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (2002) does not use the notion of the «infinitive» («there is no form in the English verb paradigm called ‘the infinitive'»), only that of the infinitival clause, noting that English uses the same form of the verb, the plain form, in infinitival clauses that it uses in imperative and present-subjunctive clauses.^[2]

A matter of controversy among prescriptive grammarians and style writers has been the appropriateness of separating the two words of the to-infinitive (as in «I expect to happily sit here»). For details of this, see split infinitive. Opposing linguistic theories typically do not consider the to-infinitive a distinct constituent, instead regarding the scope of the particle to as an entire verb phrase; thus, to buy a car is parsed like to [buy [a car]], not like [to buy] [a car].

Uses of the infinitive[edit]

The bare infinitive and the to-infinitive have a variety of uses in English. The two forms are mostly in complementary distribution – certain contexts call for one, and certain contexts for the other; they are not normally interchangeable, except in occasional instances like after the verb help, where either can be used.

The main uses of infinitives (or infinitive phrases) are as follows:

• As complements of other verbs. The bare infinitive form is a complement of the dummy auxiliary do, most modal auxiliary verbs, verbs of perception like see, watch and hear (after a direct object), and the verbs of permission or causation make, bid, let, and have (also after a direct object). The to-infinitive is used after many transitive verbs like want, aim, like, fail, etc., and as an object complement of a direct object regarding verbs like want, convince, aim, etc.
• In various particular expressions, like had better and would rather (with bare infinitive), in order to, as if to, am to/is to/are to.
• As a noun phrase, expressing its action or state in an abstract, general way, forming the subject of a clause or a predicative expression: «To err is human»; «To know me is to love me«. The bare infinitive can be used in such sentences like «What you should do is make a list.» A common construction with the to-infinitive involves a dummy pronoun subject (it), with the infinitive phrase placed after the predicate: «It was nice to meet you.»
• Adverbially, to express purpose, intent or result, as the to-infinitive can have the meaning of in order to, e.g. «I closed the door in order to block out any noise.»
• As a modifier of a noun or adjective. This may relate to the meaning of the noun or adjective («a request to see someone»; «keen to get on»), or it may form a type of non-finite relative clause, like in «the man to save us»; «the method to use«; «nice to listen to».
• In elliptical questions (direct or indirect): «I don’t know where to go.» After why the bare infinitive is used: «Why reveal it?»

The infinitive is also the usual dictionary form or citation form of a verb. The form listed in dictionaries is the bare infinitive, although the to-infinitive is often used in referring to verbs or in defining other verbs: «The word ‘amble’ means ‘to walk slowly'»; «How do we conjugate the verb to go?»

For further detail and examples of the uses of infinitives in English, see Bare infinitive and To-infinitive in the article on uses of English verb forms.

Other Germanic languages[edit]

The original Proto-Germanic ending of the infinitive was -an, with verbs derived from other words ending in -jan or -janan.

In German it is -en («sagen»), with -eln or -ern endings on a few words based on -l or -r roots («segeln», «ändern»). The use of zu with infinitives is similar to English to, but is less frequent than in English. German infinitives can form nouns, often expressing abstractions of the action, in which case they are of neuter gender: das Essen means the eating, but also the food.

In Dutch infinitives also end in -en (zeggen — to say), sometimes used with te similar to English to, e.g., «Het is niet moeilijk te begrijpen» → «It is not hard to understand.» The few verbs with stems ending in -a have infinitives in -n (gaan — to go, slaan — to hit). Afrikaans has lost the distinction between the infinitive and present forms of verbs, with the exception of the verbs «wees» (to be), which admits the present form «is», and the verb «hê» (to have), whose present form is «het».

In North Germanic languages the final -n was lost from the infinitive as early as 500–540 AD, reducing the suffix to -a. Later it has been further reduced to -e in Danish and some Norwegian dialects (including the written majority language bokmål). In the majority of Eastern Norwegian dialects and a few bordering Western Swedish dialects the reduction to -e was only partial, leaving some infinitives in -a and others in -e (å laga vs. å kaste). In northern parts of Norway the infinitive suffix is completely lost (å lag’ vs. å kast’) or only the -a is kept (å laga vs. å kast’). The infinitives of these languages are inflected for passive voice through the addition of -s or -st to the active form. This suffix appearance in Old Norse was a contraction of mik (“me”, forming -mk) or sik (reflexive pronoun, forming -sk) and was originally expressing reflexive actions: (hann) kallar (“[he] calls”) + -sik (“himself”) > (hann) kallask (“[he] calls himself”). The suffixes -mk and -sk later merged to -s, which evolved to -st in the western dialects. The loss or reduction of -a in active voice in Norwegian did not occur in the passive forms (-ast, -as), except for some dialects that have -es. The other North Germanic languages have the same vowel in both forms.

Latin and Romance languages[edit]

The formation of the infinitive in the Romance languages reflects that in their ancestor, Latin, almost all verbs had an infinitive ending with -re (preceded by one of various thematic vowels). For example, in Italian infinitives end in -are, -ere, -rre (rare), or -ire (which is still identical to the Latin forms), and in -arsi, -ersi, -rsi, -irsi for the reflexive forms. In Spanish and Portuguese, infinitives end in -ar, -er, or -ir (Spanish also has reflexive forms in -arse, -erse, -irse), while similarly in French they typically end in -re, -er, oir, and -ir. In Romanian, both short and long-form infinitives exist; the so-called «long infinitives» end in -are, -ere, -ire and in modern speech are used exclusively as verbal nouns, while there are a few verbs that cannot be converted into the nominal long infinitive.^[3] The «short infinitives» used in verbal contexts (e.g., after an auxiliary verb) have the endings -a,-ea, -e, and -i (basically removing the ending in «-re»). In Romanian, the infinitive is usually replaced by a clause containing the conjunction să plus the subjunctive mood. The only verb that is modal in common modern Romanian is the verb a putea, to be able to. However, in popular speech the infinitive after a putea is also increasingly replaced by the subjunctive.

In all Romance languages, infinitives can also form nouns.

Latin infinitives challenged several of the generalizations about infinitives. They did inflect for voice (amare, «to love», amari, to be loved) and for tense (amare, «to love», amavisse, «to have loved»), and allowed for an overt expression of the subject (video Socratem currere, «I see Socrates running»). See Latin conjugation § Infinitives.

Romance languages inherited from Latin the possibility of an overt expression of the subject (as in Italian vedo Socrate correre). Moreover, the «inflected infinitive» (or «personal infinitive») found in Portuguese and Galician inflects for person and number.^[4] These, alongside Sardinian,^{[citation needed]} are the only Indo-European languages that allow infinitives to take person and number endings. This helps to make infinitive clauses very common in these languages; for example, the English finite clause in order that you/she/we have… would be translated to Portuguese like para teres/ela ter/termos… (Portuguese is a null-subject language). The Portuguese personal infinitive has no proper tenses, only aspects (imperfect and perfect), but tenses can be expressed using periphrastic structures. For instance, «even though you sing/have sung/are going to sing» could be translated to «apesar de cantares/teres cantado/ires cantar».

Other Romance languages (including Spanish, Romanian, Catalan, and some Italian dialects) allow uninflected infinitives to combine with overt nominative subjects. For example, Spanish al abrir yo los ojos («when I opened my eyes») or sin yo saberlo («without my knowing about it»).^[5][6]

Hellenic languages[edit]

Ancient Greek[edit]

In Ancient Greek the infinitive has four tenses (present, future, aorist, perfect) and three voices (active, middle, passive). Present and perfect have the same infinitive for both middle and passive, while future and aorist have separate middle and passive forms.

	active	middle	passive
present	παιδεύειν	παιδεύεσθαι
future	παιδεύσειν	παιδεύσεσθαι	παιδευθήσεσθαι
aorist	παιδεῦσαι	παιδεύσᾰσθαι	παιδευθῆναι
perfect	πεπαιδευκέναι	πεπαιδεῦσθαι

Thematic verbs form present active infinitives by adding to the stem the thematic vowel -ε- and the infinitive ending -εν, and contracts to -ειν, e.g., παιδεύ-ειν. Athematic verbs, and perfect actives and aorist passives, add the suffix -ναι instead, e.g., διδό-ναι. In the middle and passive, the present middle infinitive ending is -σθαι, e.g., δίδο-σθαι and most tenses of thematic verbs add an additional -ε- between the ending and the stem, e.g., παιδεύ-ε-σθαι.

Modern Greek[edit]

The infinitive per se does not exist in Modern Greek. To see this, consider the ancient Greek ἐθέλω γράφειν “I want to write”. In modern Greek this becomes θέλω να γράψω “I want that I write”. In modern Greek, the infinitive has thus changed form and function and is used mainly in the formation of periphrastic tense forms and not with an article or alone. Instead of the Ancient Greek infinitive system γράφειν, γράψειν, γράψαι, γεγραφέναι, Modern Greek uses only the form γράψει, a development of the ancient Greek aorist infinitive γράψαι. This form is also invariable. The modern Greek infinitive has only two forms according to voice: for example, γράψει for the active voice and γραφ(τ)εί for the passive voice (coming from the ancient passive aorist infinitive γραφῆναι).

Balto-Slavic languages[edit]

The infinitive in Russian usually ends in -t’ (ть) preceded by a thematic vowel, or -ti (ти), if not preceded by one; some verbs have a stem ending in a consonant and change the t to č’, like *mogt’ → moč’ (*могть → мочь) «can». Some other Balto-Slavic languages have the infinitive typically ending in, for example, -ć (sometimes -c) in Polish, -t’ in Slovak, -t (formerly -ti) in Czech and Latvian (with a handful ending in -s on the latter), -ty (-ти) in Ukrainian, -ць (-ts’) in Belarusian. Lithuanian infinitives end in —ti, Serbo-Croatian in —ti or —ći, and Slovenian in —ti or —či.

Serbian officially retains infinitives —ti or —ći, but is more flexible than the other slavic languages in breaking the infinitive through a clause. The infinitive nevertheless remains the dictionary form.

Bulgarian and Macedonian have lost the infinitive altogether except in a handful of frozen expressions where it is the same as the 3rd person singular aorist form. Almost all expressions where an infinitive may be used in Bulgarian are listed here; neverthess in all cases a subordinate clause is the more usual form. For that reason, the present first-person singular conjugation is the dictionary form in Bulgarian, while Macedonian uses the third person singular form of the verb in present tense.

Hebrew[edit]

Hebrew has two infinitives, the infinitive absolute (המקור המוחלט) and the infinitive construct (המקור הנטוי or שם הפועל). The infinitive construct is used after prepositions and is inflected with pronominal endings to indicate its subject or object: בכתוב הסופר bikhtōbh hassōphēr «when the scribe wrote», אחרי לכתו ahare lekhtō «after his going». When the infinitive construct is preceded by ל‎ (lə-, li-, lā-, lo-) «to», it has a similar meaning to the English to-infinitive, and this is its most frequent use in Modern Hebrew. The infinitive absolute is used for verb focus and emphasis, like in מות ימות‎ mōth yāmūth (literally «a dying he will die»; figuratively, «he shall indeed/surely die»).^[7] This usage is commonplace in the Hebrew Bible. In Modern Hebrew it is restricted to high-register literary works.

Note, however, that the to-infinitive of Hebrew is not the dictionary form; that is the third person singular past form.

Finnish[edit]

The Finnish grammatical tradition includes many non-finite forms that are generally labeled as (numbered) infinitives although many of these are functionally converbs. To form the so-called first infinitive, the strong form of the root (without consonant gradation or epenthetic ‘e’) is used, and these changes occur:

1. the root is suffixed with -ta/-tä according to vowel harmony
2. consonant elision takes place if applicable, e.g., juoks+ta → juosta
3. assimilation of clusters violating sonority hierarchy if applicable, e.g., nuol+ta → nuolla, sur+ta → surra
4. ‘t’ weakens to ‘d’ after diphthongs, e.g., juo+ta → juoda
5. ‘t’ elides if intervocalic, e.g., kirjoitta+ta → kirjoittaa

As such, it is inconvenient for dictionary use, because the imperative would be closer to the root word. Nevertheless, dictionaries use the first infinitive.

There are also four other infinitives, plus a «long» form of the first:

• The long first infinitive is -kse- and must have a personal suffix appended to it. It has the general meaning of «in order to [do something], e.g., kirjoittaakseni «in order for me to write [something]».
• The second infinitive is formed by replacing the final -a/-ä of the first infinitive with e. It can take the inessive and instructive cases to create forms like kirjoittaessa «while writing».
• The third infinitive is formed by adding -ma to the first infinitive, which alone creates an «agent» form: kirjoita- becomes kirjoittama. The third infinitive is technically a noun (denoting the act of performing some verb), so case suffixes identical to those attached to ordinary Finnish nouns allow for other expressions using the third infinitive, e.g., kirjoittamalla «by writing».
  • A personal suffix can then be added to this form to indicate the agent participle, such that kirjoittamani kirja = «The book that I wrote.»
• The fourth infinitive adds -minen to the first to form a noun that has the connotation of «the process of [doing something]», e.g., kirjoittaminen «[the process of] writing». It, too, can be inflected like other Finnish nouns that end in -nen.
• The fifth infinitive adds -maisilla- to the first, and like the long first infinitive, must take a possessive suffix. It has to do with being «about to [do something]» and may also imply that the act was cut off or interrupted, e.g., kirjoittamaisillasi «you were about to write [but something interrupted you]». This form is more commonly replaced by the third infinitive in adessive case, usually also with a possessive suffix (thus kirjoittamallasi).

Note that all of these must change to reflect vowel harmony, so the fifth infinitive (with a third-person suffix) of hypätä «jump» is hyppäämäisillään «he was about to jump», not *hyppäämaisillaan.

Seri[edit]

The Seri language of northwestern Mexico has infinitival forms used in two constructions (with the verb meaning ‘want’ and with the verb meaning ‘be able’). The infinitive is formed by adding a prefix to the stem: either iha- [iʔa-] (plus a vowel change of certain vowel-initial stems) if the complement clause is transitive, or ica- [ika-] (and no vowel change) if the complement clause is intransitive. The infinitive shows agreement in number with the controlling subject. Examples are: icatax ihmiimzo ‘I want to go’, where icatax is the singular infinitive of the verb ‘go’ (singular root is -atax), and icalx hamiimcajc ‘we want to go’, where icalx is the plural infinitive. Examples of the transitive infinitive: ihaho ‘to see it/him/her/them’ (root -aho), and ihacta ‘to look at it/him/her/them’ (root -oocta).

Translation to languages without an infinitive[edit]

In languages without an infinitive, the infinitive is translated either as a that-clause or as a verbal noun. For example, in Literary Arabic the sentence «I want to write a book» is translated as either urīdu an aktuba kitāban (lit. «I want that I write a book», with a verb in the subjunctive mood) or urīdu kitābata kitābin (lit. «I want the writing of a book», with the masdar or verbal noun), and in Levantine Colloquial Arabic biddi aktub kitāb (subordinate clause with verb in subjunctive).

Even in languages that have infinitives, similar constructions are sometimes necessary where English would allow the infinitive. For example, in French the sentence «I want you to come» translates to Je veux que vous veniez (lit. «I want that you come», come being in the subjunctive mood). However, «I want to come» is simply Je veux venir, using the infinitive, just as in English. In Russian, sentences such as «I want you to leave» do not use an infinitive. Rather, they use the conjunction чтобы «in order to/so that» with the past tense form (most probably remnant of subjunctive) of the verb: Я хочу, чтобы вы ушли (literally, «I want so that you left»).

See also[edit]

• Auxiliary verb
• Finite verb
• Gerund
• Non-finite verb
• Split infinitive
• Verbal noun

Notes[edit]

Инфинитив

The infinitive is a verbal form (a non-finite verb form) which consists of the base form of the verb with the particle «to»: to do; to go; to play; to take; to break; to find.

Инфинитив – это отглагольная форма (неличная форма глагола), которая состоит из базовой формы глагола с частицей «to»: to do; to go; to play; to take; to break; to find.

The English infinitive and the Russian non-finite verb form have similar features. At the same time, the infinitive in English has a number of peculiarities which make using the infinitive difficult for language learners.

Английский инфинитив и русская неопределённая форма глагола имеют похожие свойства. В то же время инфинитив в английском языке имеет ряд особенностей, которые делают употребление инфинитива трудным для изучающих язык.

Note: Linguistic terms related to verbs are explained in Verbs Glossary of Terms in the section Grammar.

Примечание: Лингвистические термины, связанные с глаголами, объяснены в материале «Verbs Glossary of Terms» в разделе Grammar.

Properties and functions of the infinitive

Свойства и функции инфинитива

The infinitive has some properties of the verb. The infinitive names an action (to drive a car) or state (to be sick), but cannot show person, number, or mood. The infinitive has active and passive forms (to take; to be taken) and can express voice and time, though in a rather limited way.

Инфинитив имеет некоторые свойства глагола. Инфинитив называет действие (to drive a car) или состояние (to be sick), но не показывает лицо, число и наклонение. Инфинитив имеет активные и пассивные формы (to take; to be taken) и может выразить залог и время, хотя и в весьма ограниченной форме.

The infinitive can have a direct object (He plans to visit a museum) or a prepositional object (He wants to know about it) and can be modified by an adverb (He tried to walk slowly).

Инфинитив может иметь прямое дополнение (Он планирует посетить музей) или предложное дополнение (Он хочет знать об этом) и может определяться наречием (Он старался идти медленно).

The infinitive can be part of the compound verbal predicate (She can drive; We must go) or part of the compound nominal predicate (His aim is to help you). The infinitive alone, without another verb, is generally not used as the predicate.

Инфинитив может быть частью составного глагольного сказуемого (Она умеет водить; Мы должны идти) или частью составного именного сказуемого (Его цель – помочь вам). Один инфинитив, без другого глагола, обычно не употребляется как сказуемое.

The infinitive has some properties of the noun and can be in the function of the subject (To quit now would be a mistake) or of an object (He likes to sing; She asked me to wait). The infinitive can be in the function of an attribute (He has no desire to see them).

Инфинитив имеет некоторые свойства существительного и может быть в функции подлежащего (Прекратить сейчас было бы ошибкой) или дополнения (Он любит петь; Она попросила меня подождать). Инфинитив может быть в функции определения (У него нет желания видеть их).

The infinitive can function as an adverbial modifier of purpose (He came here to study) or as an adverbial modifier of consequence (He was too tired to go to the cinema).

Инфинитив может функционировать как обстоятельство цели (Он приехал сюда учиться) или как обстоятельство следствия (Он слишком устал, чтобы идти в кино).

Use of particle «to»

Употребление частицы «to»

As a rule, the infinitive is preceded by the particle «to».

Как правило, перед инфинитивом употребляется частица «to».

The particle «to» is omitted after modal verbs (You can go; You must take it), after the verbs «make, let» (Make him eat; Let her play), after the verb «help» in American English (Help me find my book), and in constructions like «She saw him leave; He heard her sing». The infinitive without the particle «to» is called bare infinitive.

Частица «to» опускается после модальных глаголов (Вы можете идти; Вы должны взять это), после глаголов «make, let» (Заставьте его поесть; Дайте ей поиграть), после глагола «help» в американском английском (Помогите мне найти мою книгу) и в конструкциях типа «Она видела, как он ушёл; Он слышал, как она пела». Инфинитив без частицы «to» называется bare infinitive.

If the verbs «make, help, see, hear» in such constructions are used in the passive voice, the infinitive after them keeps the particle «to»: He was made to leave. She was helped to do it. He was seen to enter that building. He was heard to laugh.

Если глаголы «make, help, see, hear» в таких конструкциях употреблены в страдательном залоге, то инфинитив после них сохраняет частицу «to»: Его заставили уйти. Ей помогли сделать это. Видели, как вошёл в то здание. Слышали, как он смеялся.

If there are two infinitives next to each other connected by «and, or, but, except, than», the second infinitive is often used without «to»: I told him to sit down and rest. She didn’t know whether to go or stay. There was nothing to do but wait. There is nothing for him to do but watch TV. It’s easier to type than write.

Если рядом стоят два инфинитива, соединенные с помощью «and, or, but, except, than», второй инфинитив часто употребляется без «to»: Я сказал ему сесть и отдохнуть. Она не знала, идти или остаться. Ничего не оставалось делать, кроме как ждать. Ему нечего делать, кроме как смотреть ТВ. Легче печатать, чем писать.

But it is often necessary to repeat «to» before the second infinitive for clarity, especially in longer infinitive phrases: I told him to sit down on the sofa and to rest a little. It is easier to type this text than to write it. To buy or not to buy is a hard choice for her.

Но часто необходимо повторить «to» перед вторым инфинитивом для ясности, особенно в более длинных инфинитивных фразах: Я сказал ему сесть на диван и отдохнуть немного. Легче напечатать этот текст, чем написать его. Купить или не купить – трудный выбор для неё.

The particle «to» is often used without the infinitive at the end of the sentence if the infinitive is clearly mentioned earlier in the sentence: He asks me to do this work, but I don’t want to. I didn’t want to go there, but I had to. He would prefer to sleep till noon if he were allowed to.

Частица «to» часто употребляется без инфинитива в конце предложения, если этот инфинитив ясно упоминается раньше в этом предложении: Он просит меня сделать эту работу, но я не хочу. Я не хотел идти туда, но пришлось. Он предпочёл бы спать до полудня, если бы ему позволили.

(The place of the particle «to» is also described in the part «Split infinitive» at the end of this article.)

(Место частицы «to» также описывается в части «Разделённый инфинитив» в конце этой статьи.)

How infinitives express time

Как инфинитив выражает время

The finite verb forms express the time of the action in the present, past, or future. For example: He works in a bank. He worked yesterday. He will work tomorrow.

Личные формы глагола выражают время действия в настоящем, прошедшем или будущем. Например: Он работает в банке. Он работал вчера. Он будет работать завтра.

The infinitive can express time only relatively, i.e., in relation to the action expressed by the verb in the predicate.

Инфинитив может выражать время только относительно, т.е. по отношению к действию, выраженному глаголом в сказуемом.

The action indicated by the infinitive can be simultaneous with the action expressed by the verb in the predicate: He seemed to be sleeping. He is trying to work.

Действие, указанное инфинитивом, может быть одновременным с действием, выраженным глаголом в сказуемом: Казалось, он спал. Он пытается работать.

The action indicated by the infinitive can precede the action expressed by the verb in the predicate: The rain seems to have stopped. It is nice to have talked to you.

Действие, указанное инфинитивом, может предшествовать действию, выраженному глаголом в сказуемом: Кажется, дождь перестал. Было приятно поговорить с вами.

The action of the infinitive later than the action of the verb in the predicate is understood from the context and meaning: He intends to do it tomorrow. The goods are to be delivered next week.

Действие инфинитива позже действия глагола в сказуемом понимается из контекста и значения: Он намеревается сделать это завтра. Товары должны быть доставлены на следующей неделе.

Forms of the infinitive

Формы инфинитива

The infinitive has the following active and passive forms: simple (to write), continuous (to be writing), perfect (to have written), perfect continuous (to have been writing), simple passive (to be written), perfect passive (to have been written). The examples below illustrate the use of the infinitive forms in sentences.

Инфинитив имеет следующие активные и пассивные формы: simple (to write), continuous (to be writing), perfect (to have written), perfect continuous (to have been writing), simple passive (to be written), perfect passive (to have been written). Примеры ниже иллюстрируют употребление форм инфинитива в предложениях.

I asked him to write a report.

Я попросил его написать доклад.

He is supposed to be writing a report now.

Предполагается, что он пишет доклад сейчас.

He appears to have written a report already.

Похоже, он уже написал доклад.

He seems to have been writing a report for two hours already.

Кажется, он пишет доклад уже в течение двух часов.

I expect his report to be written tomorrow.

Я ожидаю, что его доклад будет написан завтра.

I expect his report to have been written by now.

Я ожидаю, что его доклад уже написан к настоящему моменту.

Simple active and passive forms are the most common. Compound (analytical) forms of the infinitive are not used very often in general speech and writing.

Простые активная и пассивная формы наиболее употребительны. Сложные (аналитические) формы инфинитива не очень часто употребляются в обычной устной и письменной речи.

More examples with perfect and passive forms:

Ещё примеры с перфектными и пассивными формами:

He is said to have sold all his houses.

Говорят, что он продал все свои дома.

She was sorry to have said it.

Она сожалела, что сказала это.

He is known to have been working in this field for many years.

Известно, что он работал в этой области в течение многих лет.

He wants to be informed about any problems immediately.

Он хочет, чтобы его информировали о любых проблемах немедленно.

He asked to be informed of their arrival.

Он просил, чтобы ему сообщили об их приезде.

She is lucky to have been given such an opportunity.

Ей повезло, что ей дали такую возможность.

Note: Modal verbs

Примечание: Модальные глаголы

All of the infinitive forms are used with modal verbs in order to express certain meanings of modal verbs. For example:

Все формы инфинитива употребляются с модальными глаголами для того, чтобы выразить определённые значения модальных глаголов. Например:

He can write reports.

Он умеет писать доклады.

He must be writing a report now.

Он, должно быть, пишет доклад сейчас.

He should have written a report yesterday.

Ему следовало бы написать доклад вчера.

This report might have been written by one of our freelance workers.

Этот доклад, возможно, был написан одним из наших внештатных работников.

Read about the forms of the infinitive with modal verbs in Modal Verbs Introduction and see examples with the forms of the infinitive in Possibility and Strong Probability in the subsection Modal Verbs in the section Grammar.

Прочитайте о формах инфинитива с модальными глаголами в статье Modal Verbs Introduction и посмотрите примеры с формами инфинитива в статьях Possibility и Strong Probability в подразделе Modal Verbs в разделе Grammar.

Simple and compound infinitive forms, together with the verbs «would, could, might», are used in the forms expressing unreal condition. For example: If I had known it, I would have stayed home. (See Conditional Sentences in the section Grammar.)

Простые и сложные формы инфинитива, вместе с глаголами «would, could, might», используются в формах, выражающих нереальное условие. Например: If I had known it, I would have stayed home. (Если бы я знал это, я бы остался дома.) (См. Conditional Sentences в разделе Grammar.)

Typical constructions with infinitives

Типичные конструкции с инфинитивом

Typical constructions in which the infinitive is used are described below, with examples of use. A shorter description of such constructions (in Russian) is given in the commentary to the song Phil Collins — Another Day in Paradise in the section Hobby.

Типичные конструкции, в которых употребляется инфинитив, описаны ниже, с примерами употребления. Более короткое описание таких конструкций (на русском языке) дано в комментарии к песне Phil Collins — Another Day in Paradise в разделе Hobby.

Only the most common verbs after which the infinitive is used are included in the lists of verbs in this material. Note that the verbs after which the infinitive is used may be found in more than one construction. For example: I expect to arrive tomorrow. – I expect her to arrive tomorrow. – She is expected to arrive tomorrow.

Только наиболее употребительные глаголы, после которых употребляется инфинитив, включены в списки глаголов в этом материале. Обратите внимание, что глаголы, после которых употребляется инфинитив, могут встречаться более чем в одной конструкции. Например: Я предполагаю прибыть завтра. – Я ожидаю, что она прибудет завтра. – Ожидается, что она приедет завтра.

Bear in mind that some of the verbs listed in this material may be followed by infinitives or gerunds. For example: He likes to read. – He likes reading. (Examples of the use of gerunds and infinitives after certain verbs are given in Infinitive or Gerund in the section Grammar.)

Имейте в виду, что за некоторыми глаголами, указанными в этом материале, может следовать инфинитив или герундий. Например: Он любит читать. – Он любит чтение. (Примеры употребления герундия и инфинитива после определённых глаголов даны в материале Infinitive or Gerund в разделе Grammar.)

Verb + infinitive

Глагол + инфинитив

In this construction the infinitive stands immediately after the verb, usually after the following verbs: afford, agree, appear, ask, beg, begin, continue, decide, deserve, expect, fail, forget, hate, hesitate, hope, intend, learn, like, love, manage, mean, need, offer, plan, prefer, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, regret, remember, seem, start, threaten, try, want, would like.

В этой конструкции инфинитив стоит сразу после глагола, обычно после следующих глаголов: afford, agree, appear, ask, beg, begin, continue, decide, deserve, expect, fail, forget, hate, hesitate, hope, intend, learn, like, love, manage, mean, need, offer, plan, prefer, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, regret, remember, seem, start, threaten, try, want, would like.

The infinitive is an object after most of the verbs of this group. The infinitive after the linking verbs «appear, seem» is a complement, i.e. part of a compound nominal predicate. In some sources, the infinitive after «appear, seem» is regarded as part of a compound verbal predicate.

Инфинитив является дополнением после большинства глаголов этой группы. Инфинитив после глагола-связки «appear, seem» является комплементом, т.е. частью составного именного сказуемого. В некоторых источниках, инфинитив после «appear, seem» рассматривается как часть составного глагольного сказуемого.

He hopes to see them soon.

Он надеется увидеться с ними скоро.

His daughter is learning to drive.

Его дочь учится водить.

I need to talk to him.

Мне нужно поговорить с ним.

She forgot to lock the door.

Она забыла запереть дверь.

He refused to help them.

Он отказался помочь им.

I want to go home.

Я хочу пойти домой.

He appears to be tired.

Он кажется уставшим.

She seems to like her job.

Кажется, ей нравится её работа.

The continuous infinitive (emphasizing duration of the action) and the perfect infinitive (indicating the preceding action) are rather often used after the verbs «seem, appear, pretend».

Продолженный инфинитив (подчеркивающий длительность действия) и перфектный инфинитив (указывающий предшествующее действие) довольно часто употребляются после глаголов «seem, appear, pretend».

He pretended to be reading.

Он притворился / сделал вид, что читает.

The weather seems to be improving.

Кажется, погода улучшается.

He seems to have lost weight.

Кажется, он похудел. (выглядит похудевшим)

He appears to have forgotten about it.

По-видимому, он забыл об этом.

Note the use of the passive infinitive in those cases where the person indicated in the subject undergoes the action of the infinitive (i.e., that person does not perform the action himself / herself).

Обратите внимание на употребление пассивного инфинитива в тех случаях, где лицо, указанное в подлежащем, подвергается действию инфинитива (т.е. это лицо не само выполняет действие).

She doesn’t like to be disturbed during her work.

Она не любит, когда её беспокоят во время её работы.

I would like to be invited to the party.

Я хотел бы быть приглашенным на вечеринку.

Note: Particle NOT

Примечание: Частица NOT

Depending on the meaning of the sentence, NOT can be used with the verb in the predicate or with the infinitive.

В зависимости от значения предложения, NOT может употребляться с глаголом в сказуемом или с инфинитивом.

He did not promise to do it.

Он не обещал сделать это.

He promised not to do it.

Он обещал не делать этого.

Don’t even try to lie to me.

Даже и не пытайся мне врать.

Try not to be late.

Постарайся не опоздать.

They decided not to go to the party.

Они решили не идти на вечеринку.

More examples can be found in Negative Constructions (the part NOT and Verb + infinitive) in the section Miscellany.

Ещё примеры можно найти в статье Negative Constructions (часть NOT and Verb + infinitive) в разделе Miscellany.

Note: Gerunds

Примечание: Герундий

The verbs «begin, continue, forget, hate, like, love, prefer, regret, remember, start, try» are also used with a gerund, with or without a change of meaning. Compare: He began to eat. – He began eating. I remembered to lock the door. – I remember locking the door.

Глаголы «begin, continue, forget, hate, like, love, prefer, regret, remember, start, try» также употребляются с герундием, с изменением или без изменения значения. Сравните: Он начал есть. – Он начал есть. Я не забыл запереть дверь. – Я помню, что я запирал дверь.

Verb + object + infinitive

Глагол + дополнение + инфинитив

The constructions Verb + object + infinitive are divided into four groups here according to the type of construction and the meaning that these constructions convey after certain verbs. The infinitive functions as an object in such constructions and stands after another object expressed by a noun or a pronoun.

Конструкции Verb + object + infinitive разделены здесь на четыре группы согласно типу конструкции и значению, которое эти конструкции передают после определённых глаголов. Инфинитив функционирует как дополнение в таких конструкциях и стоит после другого дополнения, выраженного существительным или местоимением.

Group 1

Группа 1

In this construction, the infinitive is used after the verbs «advise, allow, ask, beg, convince, encourage, forbid, force, help, hire, instruct, invite, let, make, order, permit, persuade, remind, teach, tell, urge, warn». Note that the infinitive is used without the particle «to» after the verbs «make, let» (and «help» in AmE).

В этой конструкции инфинитив употребляется после глаголов «advise, allow, ask, beg, convince, encourage, forbid, force, help, hire, instruct, invite, let, make, order, permit, persuade, remind, teach, tell, urge, warn». Обратите внимание, что инфинитив употребляется без частицы «to» после глаголов «make, let» (и «help» в AmE).

The doctor advised him to rest for a few days.

Врач посоветовал ему отдохнуть несколько дней.

He asked her to speak slowly.

Он попросил её говорить медленно.

She helped me to wash the windows.

Она помогла мне вымыть окна.

It makes me think that he is lying.

Это заставляет меня думать, что он лжёт.

She reminded him to buy cheese.

Она напомнила ему купить сыр.

He taught me to drive.

Он научил меня водить машину.

She told me not to invite them.

Она сказала мне не приглашать их.

Note: Gerunds

Примечание: Герундий

The verbs «advise, allow, forbid, permit» can be followed by a gerund directly. Compare: She doesn’t permit me to use her computer. – She doesn’t permit using her computer.

За глаголами «advise, allow, forbid, permit» может сразу следовать герундий. Сравните: Она не разрешает мне пользоваться её компьютером. – Она не разрешает пользоваться её компьютером.

Group 2

Группа 2

In this construction, the infinitive is used after the verbs «want, would like, require, rely on, count on, expect, consider, find».

В этой конструкции инфинитив употребляется после глаголов «want, would like, require, rely on, count on, expect, consider, find».

I want you to do something for me.

Я хочу, чтобы ты сделал кое-что для меня.

I count on you to do it quickly.

Я рассчитываю на то, что вы сделаете это быстро.

We expected Mike to be present at the meeting.

Мы ожидали, что Майк будет присутствовать на собрании.

She found him to be a very nice person.

Она нашла, что он очень приятный человек.

Note the use of the passive infinitive in those cases where the person indicated in the object undergoes the action of the infinitive (i.e., that person does not perform the action himself / herself).

Обратите внимание на употребление пассивного инфинитива в тех случаях, где лицо, указанное в дополнении, подвергается действию инфинитива (т.е. это лицо не само выполняет действие).

She wants him to be elected.

Она хочет, чтобы его избрали.

I would like him to be invited to the party.

Я хотел бы, чтобы его пригласили на вечеринку.

Group 3

Группа 3

In this construction, the infinitive without «to» is used after the verbs of sense perception «hear, see, watch, observe, notice, feel».

В этой конструкции инфинитив без «to» употребляется после глаголов чувственного восприятия «hear, see, watch, observe, notice, feel».

I saw him cross the street.

Я видел, как он перешёл улицу.

I watched him plant the roses.

Я наблюдал, как он сажал розы.

I heard her cry.

Я слышал, как она плакала.

The present participle is used instead of the infinitive in such constructions to stress that the action is in progress. For example: I saw him crossing the street. I heard her singing.

Причастие настоящего времени употребляется вместо инфинитива в таких конструкциях, чтобы подчеркнуть, что действие в процессе. Например: Я видел, как он переходил улицу. Я слышал, как она пела.

Group 4

Группа 4

This construction with the verbs «have» and «get» has causative meaning, i.e., «have» and «get» here generally mean «induce someone to do something; ensure that someone does something», with «have» close in meaning to «ask» and «get» close in meaning to «persuade». The infinitive is used without the particle «to» after «have», but with «to» after «get».

Эта конструкция с глаголами «have» и «get» имеет побудительное значение, т.е. «have» и «get» здесь обычно значат «побудить кого-то сделать что-то; обеспечить, чтобы кто-то сделал что-то», при этом «have» близко по значению к «ask», а «get» близко по значению к «persuade». Инфинитив употребляется без частицы «to» после «have», но с частицей «to» после «get».

Have him send the letters.

Обеспечьте, чтобы он отправил письма.

I had my sister watch the baby while I was out.

Я попросила мою сестру присмотреть за ребёнком, пока меня не было.

Get your son to clean the carpet.

Сделайте так, чтобы ваш сын почистил ковер.

I got my brother to help me (to) repair my car.

Я уговорил моего брата помочь мне починить мою машину.

The past participle is used after the verbs «have» and «get» in constructions like «I had my car washed» which indicate that the action is performed for you by someone.

Причастие прошедшего времени употребляется после глаголов «have» и «get» в конструкциях типа «I had my car washed», которые указывают, что действие выполняется для вас кем-то.

See more examples at the end of The Verb HAVE in the section Grammar.

Посмотрите ещё примеры в конце статьи The Verb HAVE в разделе Grammar.

Note: Complex object

Примечание: Сложное дополнение

Constructions after the verbs in Groups 2, 3, 4 are often called «complex object» in Russian materials on English grammar. Complex object is described in Russian in the commentary to the song Joe Cocker — N’Oubliez Jamais in the section Hobby.

Конструкции после глаголов в группах 2, 3, 4 часто называются complex object (сложное дополнение) в русских материалах по английской грамматике. Сложное дополнение описано на русском языке в комментарии к песне Joe Cocker — N’Oubliez Jamais в разделе Hobby.

Infinitives after passive verb forms

Инфинитив после пассивных форм глагола

Many verbs can be used in the passive voice with the infinitive in the function of an object after them.

Многие глаголы могут употребляться в пассивном залоге с инфинитивом в функции дополнения после них.

The infinitive is used after the passive forms of the verbs «allow, permit, ask, tell, order, force, advise, warn, encourage». Compare active and passive constructions:

Инфинитив употребляется после пассивных форм глаголов «allow, permit, ask, tell, order, force, advise, warn, encourage». Сравните активные и пассивные конструкции:

She allowed us to go there. – We were allowed to go there.

Она разрешила нам пойти туда. – Нам было разрешено пойти туда.

They warned me not to do it. – I was warned not to do it.

Они предупредили меня не делать этого. – Меня предупредили не делать этого.

He advised her to find a good lawyer. – She was advised to find a good lawyer.

Он посоветовал ей найти хорошего адвоката. – Ей посоветовали найти хорошего адвоката.

The infinitive is used after the passive forms of the verbs «say, report, expect, suppose, allege, believe, know».

Инфинитив употребляется после пассивных форм глаголов «say, report, expect, suppose, allege, believe, know».

Prices are expected to rise even higher.

Ожидается, что цены поднимутся ещё выше.

He was expected to visit them.

Ожидалось, что он посетит их.

She was supposed to arrive at 10 a.m.

Она должна была прибыть в 10 утра.

You are not supposed to be here.

Вам не положено находиться здесь.

He is said to be 125 years old.

Говорят, что ему 125 лет.

He is believed to be the oldest person in the country.

Полагают, что он самый старый человек в стране.

Such constructions containing simple, continuous, perfect, or passive forms of the infinitive are often used in news reports. For example:

Такие конструкции, содержащие простые, продолженные, перфектные или пассивные формы инфинитива, часто употребляются в новостных репортажах. Например:

The committee is expected to approve this initiative.

Ожидается, что комитет одобрит эту инициативу.

The commission is reported to be conducting an investigation of the incident.

Сообщается, что комиссия ведёт расследование этого инцидента.

He is alleged to have stolen more than ten million dollars.

Утверждают, что он украл более десяти миллионов долларов.

Several people are reported to have been injured in the fire.

Сообщается, что несколько человек пострадали при пожаре.

More examples can be found at the end of Passive Voice in the section Grammar.

Ещё примеры можно найти в конце статьи Passive Voice в разделе Grammar.

Infinitive after linking verb BE

Инфинитив после глагола-связки BE

The infinitive after the linking verb BE is part of the compound nominal predicate.

Инфинитив после глагола-связки BE является частью составного именного сказуемого.

His aim was to help them.

Его целью было помочь им.

Your duty is to study.

Ваша обязанность – учиться.

Your task is to do these exercises.

Ваше задание – сделать эти упражнения.

His assistant’s main task is to gather information for research.

Главная задача его ассистента – собирать информацию для исследования.

His sole desire is to be accepted in their circle.

Его единственное желание – быть принятым в их кругу.

Infinitives after «how, what, where»

Инфинитив после «how, what, where»

The infinitive as an object is often used after «how, what, who, whom, which, when, where, whether», usually after the verbs «know, ask, tell, advise, explain, show, decide, wonder, understand».

Инфинитив как дополнение часто употребляется после «how, what, who, whom, which, when, where, whether», обычно после глаголов «know, ask, tell, advise, explain, show, decide, wonder, understand».

I don’t know what to say.

Я не знаю, что сказать.

I don’t know who to ask.

Я не знаю, кого попросить.

Show me how to do it.

Покажите мне, как сделать это.

I haven’t decided yet whether to go there or not.

Я ещё не решил, идти туда или нет.

The tour guide told us where to find interesting souvenirs.

Гид рассказал нам, где найти интересные сувениры.

Infinitives after adjectives

Инфинитив после прилагательных

The infinitive as an object is used after many adjectives and participles, for example, after «able, afraid, amused, anxious, ashamed, astonished, careful, delighted, determined, disappointed, eager, free, frightened, glad, grateful, happy, interested, lucky, pleased, prepared, proud, ready, relieved, reluctant, sad, shocked, sorry, surprised, terrified, willing».

Инфинитив как дополнение употребляется после многих прилагательных и причастий, например, после «able, afraid, amused, anxious, ashamed, astonished, careful, delighted, determined, disappointed, eager, free, frightened, glad, grateful, happy, interested, lucky, pleased, prepared, proud, ready, relieved, reluctant, sad, shocked, sorry, surprised, terrified, willing».

This construction is often used to describe people’s feelings in relation to the action expressed by the infinitive.

Эта конструкция часто используется для описания чувств людей по отношению к действию, указанному инфинитивом.

She is afraid to go there alone.

Она боится идти туда одна.

We are ready to start.

Мы готовы начать.

You were lucky to find that book.

Вам повезло найти эту книгу.

She was reluctant to go.

Она не хотела идти.

He is eager to be invited to the show.

Он очень хочет, чтобы его пригласили на представление.

The infinitives «to hear, to see, to learn, to discover, to find» are often used after the adjectives «glad, happy, delighted, disappointed, surprised, sorry».

Инфинитивы «to hear, to see, to learn, to discover, to find» часто употребляются после прилагательных «glad, happy, delighted, disappointed, surprised, sorry».

She was glad to hear that.

Она была рада слышать это.

He was happy to see her.

Он был счастлив видеть её.

I was sorry to hear about their divorce.

Мне было жаль слышать об их разводе.

I was surprised to learn that she had quit her job.

Я с удивлением узнал, что она уволилась с работы.

Infinitives as attributes

Инфинитив как определение

The infinitive as an attribute always stands after the noun (or indefinite pronoun) that it modifies. For example:

Инфинитив как определение всегда стоит после существительного (или неопределённого местоимения), которое он определяет. Например:

Can you give me a book to read?

Можете дать мне книгу почитать?

I have a lot of work to do today.

Мне надо сделать много работы сегодня.

Give him something to eat.

Дайте ему что-нибудь поесть.

He has nowhere to go.

Ему некуда идти.

Infinitives as attributes are used after many nouns, for example, after «ability, advice, attempt, capacity, chance, command, decision, desire, eagerness, effort, excuse, failure, intention, invitation, necessity, need, offer, opportunity, order, permission, power, promise, reason, recommendation, refusal, reluctance, right, time, way, willingness, wish».

Инфинитив как определение употребляется после многих существительных, например, после «ability, advice, attempt, capacity, chance, command, decision, desire, eagerness, effort, excuse, failure, intention, invitation, necessity, need, offer, opportunity, order, permission, power, promise, reason, recommendation, refusal, reluctance, right, time, way, willingness, wish».

Her ability to memorize words is amazing.

Её способность запоминать слова поразительна.

I have no intention to work there.

У меня нет намерения работать там.

She has no desire to get married.

У неё нет желания выходить замуж.

There’s no need to hurry.

Нет необходимости спешить.

They had every reason to believe that he had left the country.

У них были все основания думать, что он уехал из страны.

Note: The gerund is also used after some of these nouns (for example, after «chance, intention, necessity, reason»), with or without a change in meaning. (See The Gerund in the section Grammar.)

Примечание: Герундий тоже употребляется после некоторых из этих существительных (например, после chance, intention, necessity, reason), с изменением или без изменения значения. (См. The Gerund в разделе Grammar.)

Infinitives in constructions after formal subject IT

Инфинитив в конструкциях после формального подлежащего IT

The infinitive may be used as the subject of the sentence. For example:

Инфинитив может употребляться как подлежащее в предложении. Например:

To find him was difficult.

Найти его было трудно.

To know the rules is necessary.

Знать правила необходимо.

To ask him for help was a mistake.

Просить его о помощи было ошибкой.

However, it is more common to use the construction in which the pronoun IT is the formal subject, and the infinitive is placed after the predicative adjective or noun.

Однако чаще употребляется конструкция, в которой местоимение IT является формальным подлежащим, а инфинитив ставится после предикативного прилагательного или существительного.

It was difficult to find him.

Было трудно найти его.

It is necessary to know the rules.

Необходимо знать правила.

It was a mistake to ask him for help.

Было ошибкой просить его о помощи.

The infinitive in this construction is often used after the following adjectives and participles: advisable, amazing, awful, bad, convenient, careless, correct, cruel, dangerous, desirable, difficult, easy, foolish, funny, good, great, hard, helpful, important, impossible, interesting, intolerable, natural, necessary, nice, pleasant, possible, reasonable, ridiculous, silly, strange, surprising, terrible, unbearable, undesirable, unnecessary, unpleasant, unreasonable, useful, useless, wise, wonderful, wrong.

Инфинитив в этой конструкции часто употребляется после следующих прилагательных и причастий: advisable, amazing, awful, bad, convenient, careless, correct, cruel, dangerous, desirable, difficult, easy, foolish, funny, good, great, hard, helpful, important, impossible, interesting, intolerable, natural, necessary, nice, pleasant, possible, reasonable, ridiculous, silly, strange, surprising, terrible, unbearable, undesirable, unnecessary, unpleasant, unreasonable, useful, useless, wise, wonderful, wrong.

It is nice to meet you.

Приятно познакомиться с вами.

It is useless to talk to him.

Бесполезно говорить с ним.

It is hard to be a doctor.

Трудно быть врачом.

It was dangerous to stay there.

Было опасно оставаться там.

The infinitive in this construction is used after various nouns, for example, after «duty, fun, idea, mistake, pleasure, surprise, thing, time».

Инфинитив в этой конструкции употребляется после различных существительных, например, после «duty, fun, idea, mistake, pleasure, surprise, thing, time».

It’s a good idea to invite John.

Это хорошая мысль – пригласить Джона.

It is time to leave.

Пора уходить.

It was a surprise to hear such words.

Было удивительно слышать такие слова.

It was a terrible thing to say.

Было ужасно сказать такое.

FOR + noun / pronoun + infinitive

FOR + существительное / местоимение + инфинитив

The action indicated by the infinitive usually refers to the subject or to the object. Compare: I’m planning to visit her. – I asked him to visit her.

Действие, указанное инфинитивом, обычно относится к подлежащему или дополнению. Сравните: Я планирую навестить её. – Я попросил его навестить её.

In some sentences, the action indicated by the infinitive does not refer either to the subject or to the object: For example: It is pleasant to walk in the park. The tea was too hot to drink.

В некоторых предложениях действие, указанное инфинитивом, не относится ни к подлежащему, ни к дополнению. Например: Приятно гулять в парке. Чай был слишком горячим, чтобы его пить.

If it is necessary in such sentences to indicate the person to whom the action of the infinitive refers, add «for + noun / pronoun» before the infinitive. For example: It is pleasant for me to walk in the park. The tea was too hot for the children to drink.

Если нужно в таких предложениях указать лицо, к которому относится действие инфинитива, добавьте for + существительное / местоимение перед инфинитивом. Например: Мне приятно гулять в парке. Чай был слишком горячим, чтобы дети могли его пить.

Examples:

Примеры:

It was important for Victor to be present at the meeting.

Для Виктора было важно присутствовать на собрании.

It is difficult for him to live alone.

Ему трудно жить одному.

It is easy for her to learn English.

Ей легко изучать английский язык.

The first thing for you to do is to find Tom.

Первое, что вы должны сделать – найти Тома.

This is not for us to decide.

Это не нам решать.

In some cases, «of + noun / pronoun» is used before the infinitive to indicate the person to whom the action of the infinitive refers. For example: It was very nice of you to bring her flowers. It was inconsiderate of him to ask her such questions.

В некоторых случаях перед инфинитивом употребляется of + существительное / местоимение, чтобы указать, к кому относится действие инфинитива. Например: Было очень любезно с вашей стороны принести ей цветы. Было неделикатно с его стороны задавать ей такие вопросы.

Infinitive of purpose

Инфинитив цели

The infinitive is often used as an adverbial modifier of purpose. In this function the infinitive may be preceded by «in order» or «so as».

Инфинитив часто употребляется как обстоятельство цели. В этой функции перед инфинитивом может стоять «in order» или «so as».

He went to London in order to study English.

Он поехал в Лондон, чтобы изучать английский язык.

She came here to study.

Она приехала сюда учиться.

I went out to buy bread and milk.

Я вышел, чтобы купить хлеб и молоко.

He did it to help her.

Он сделал это, чтобы помочь ей.

Press Enter to start the installation.

Нажмите Enter, чтобы начать установку.

For emphasis, the infinitive of purpose is sometimes placed at the beginning of the sentence.

Для усиления, инфинитив цели иногда ставится в начале предложения.

To understand his stories, you need to know where he grew up.

Чтобы понять его рассказы, вам нужно знать, где он вырос.

Infinitive of consequence

Инфинитив следствия

The infinitive is also used as an adverbial modifier of consequence, with the adverbs «too» and «enough».

Инфинитив также употребляется как обстоятельство следствия, с наречиями «too» и «enough».

I was too tired to notice it.

Я слишком устал, чтобы заметить это.

It is too late to call him now.

Слишком поздно звонить ему сейчас.

He is too young to be a manager.

Он слишком молод, чтобы быть менеджером.

She is old enough to understand it.

Она достаточно взрослая, чтобы понять это.

I don’t know this subject well enough to discuss it with you.

Я знаю этот предмет не настолько хорошо, чтобы обсуждать его с вами.

Other infinitive constructions

Другие инфинитивные конструкции

In speech and writing of general character, the infinitive is not used as the predicate. But there are some constructions in which the infinitive may serve as the predicate.

В устной и письменной речи общего характера инфинитив не употребляется как сказуемое. Но есть некоторые конструкции, в которых инфинитив может служить сказуемым.

The infinitive without the particle «to» may be used as the predicate in interrogative sentences beginning with «Why» and expressing suggestion, usually in everyday speech.

Инфинитив без частицы «to» может употребляться как сказуемое в вопросительных предложениях, начинающихся с «Why» и выражающих предложение-побуждение, обычно в разговорной речи.

Why waste time on such trifles?

Зачем тратить время на такие пустяки?

Why pay more than necessary?

Зачем платить больше, чем нужно?

Why not wait a little?

Почему бы не подождать немного?

The infinitive with the particle «to» may be used as the predicate in the meaning close to the meaning of the phrase BE TO expressing strong expectation that some action is going to happen according to rules, agreements, plans, and the like. Such use of the infinitive is mostly found in legal, commercial, or technical texts, in newspaper articles and advertising materials.

Инфинитив с частицей «to» может употребляться как сказуемое в значении, близком к значению фразы BE TO, выражающей сильное ожидание, что какое-то действие произойдёт согласно правилам, договоренностям, планам и т.п. Такое употребление инфинитива в основном встречается в юридических, коммерческих или технических текстах, в газетных статьях и рекламных материалах.

Buyers to pay for ordered goods upon delivery. (= Buyers are to pay for ordered goods upon delivery.)

Покупатели должны оплатить заказанные товары после доставки.

Three new schools to open next year. (= Three new schools are to open next year.)

Три новые школы должны открыться в следующем году.

The same construction may be used as an infinitive phrase at the end of the sentence.

Такая же конструкция может употребляться как инфинитивный оборот в конце предложения.

Goods are ordered by catalogue, buyers to pay for ordered goods upon delivery.

Товары заказываются по каталогу, а покупатели должны оплатить заказанные товары после доставки.

Registration lasts till September, applications to be submitted in person.

Регистрация длится до сентября, причем заявления должны подаваться лично.

Set expressions with infinitives

Устойчивые выражения с инфинитивом

Set expressions containing infinitives, such as «needless to say; so to speak; to be quite frank; to make matters worse; to put it mildly; to say the least; to tell the truth», are used as parenthetical words. For example:

Устойчивые выражения, содержащие инфинитив, такие как «needless to say; so to speak; to be quite frank; to make matters worse; to put it mildly; to say the least; to tell the truth», употребляются как вводные слова. Например:

To be quite frank, I didn’t want to lend him my books.

Честно говоря, я не хотел давать ему мои книги.

Needless to say, he lost my books.

Не стоит и говорить, что он потерял мои книги.

Split infinitive

Разделённый инфинитив

A split infinitive is a construction in which the adverb that modifies the infinitive is placed between the particle «to» and the infinitive. Split infinitives are quite common in informal English speech.

Разделённый инфинитив – это конструкция, в которой наречие, которое определяет инфинитив, помещено между частицей «to» и инфинитивом. Разделённый инфинитив весьма часто встречается в разговорной английской речи.

Generally, style manuals say that the particle «to» should not be separated from the infinitive without necessity, especially in writing.

В целом, справочники по стилю говорят, что частица «to» не должна быть отделена от инфинитива без необходимости, особенно в письменной речи.

For example, splitting the infinitive in the following sentences is considered unnecessary: They want to quickly sell the house. He seems to often complain about it. In such cases, it is better to use more typical constructions: They want to sell the house quickly. He seems to complain about it often.

Например, разделение инфинитива в следующих предложениях считается ненужным: They want to quickly sell the house. He seems to often complain about it. В таких случаях, лучше употребить более типичные конструкции: They want to sell the house quickly. He seems to complain about it often. (Они хотят быстро продать дом. Видимо, он часто жалуется насчёт этого.)

However, in some cases placing the adverb between the particle «to» and the infinitive is preferable to placing that adverb in any other part of the sentence because such use may help to express the meaning more clearly and may even help to avoid possible misunderstanding of the whole sentence. The adverbs «really, fully, even, never, ever» are rather often placed between the particle «to» and the infinitive.

Однако в некоторых случаях помещение наречия между частицей «to» и инфинитивом предпочтительно помещению этого наречия в любой другой части предложения, т.к. это может помочь выразить значение более ясно или даже может помочь избежать возможного неправильного понимания всего предложения. Наречия «really, fully, even, never, ever» довольно часто помещаются между частицей «to» и инфинитивом.

For example, look at this sentence: She always tried to really understand young children and their hopes and fears. If we move «really» to some other places, the meaning will change, the construction will become awkward or incorrect: always really tried to understand; always tried really to understand; to understand really young children; to understand young children and their hopes and fears really.

Например, посмотрите на это предложение: She always tried to really understand young children and their hopes and fears. (Она всегда старалась действительно понять маленьких детей и их надежды и страхи.) Если мы передвинем «really» в другие места, значение изменится, конструкция станет громоздкой или неправильной: always really tried to understand; always tried really to understand; to understand really young children; to understand young children and their hopes and fears really.

A hundred years ago, the split infinitive was considered to be bad writing style. Nowadays split infinitives are becoming more acceptable in speech and writing. It is advisable for language learners to use split infinitives sparingly and only when such use is necessary for clear and correct expression of the meaning.

Сто лет назад разделённый инфинитив считался плохим стилем письма. В настоящее время разделённый инфинитив становится более допустимым в устной и письменной речи. Изучающим язык целесообразно употреблять разделённый инфинитив умеренно и только тогда, когда такое употребление необходимо для ясного и правильного выражения значения.

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