Infinitive

Infinitive

1. subject

   • usually extraposed
   • object-to-subject movement
     • =tough movement
     • adj like: hard, easy, pleasant
     • S of infinitive verb becomes S of the whole sentence
     • It was easy to convince her.
       • She was easy to convince.
   • adjective applies to the agent
     • adj like: kind, wise, clever, right, wrong...
     • It was clever of you to ask.
       • You were clever to ask
   • S/agent of inf is different from S of the main clause
     • introduced by FOR
     • S clause usually extraposed
     • For him to offer help means nothing.
       • It means nothing for him to offer help.
   • TO/FOR to introduce the experiencer
     • It´s important for you to take part.
     • It was a great surprise to us for him to offer help.

2. subject complement

   • S-to-S raising
     • verbs: seem, appear
     • It seems that you don´t like the proposal.
       • You don´t seem to like that proposal.
     • It seems that you didn´t like the proposal.
       • You don´t seem to have liked the proposal.
     • adj: likely, certain, sure, impossible
   • infinitive of BE may be omitted
     • The deadlines seem (to be) feasible.
   • specific passive structure
     • makes it possible to drop a generic agent
     • verbs: believe, know, suppose, report
     • nominative + infinitive
       • People believe him to be old.
         • He is believed to be old.
       • It is believed that he is old.

3. object

   • He refused to cooperate.
   • S/agent of inf different from S of sentence
     • =>it must be introduced explicitly (FOR)
       • I waited for him to finish writing.
   • different internal relationship between constituents
     • superficially identical structures
     • S/agent of inf isn´t constituent of superordinate clause
       • I´d hate you to regret it.
       • I wanted Mary to help Peter.
         • I wanted Peter to be helped by Mary. :)
         • I wanted Mary to help Peter.
     • S/agent of inf is O of superordinate clause
       • I asked Mary to help Peter.
         • Mar was asked to help Peter.
         • I asked Peter to be helped by Mary. XXX
     • 3.
       • I saw Mary help Peter.
         • Mary was seen to help Peter.
         • I saw Peter helped by Mary.
   • verbs: admit, acknowledge, consider, believe, think, prove
     • complemented by infinitive of BE- can be omitted
       • I thought him (to be) an honest man.
   • S/agent of inf. identical with S of superordinate clause
     • must be explicitly stated- reflexive pronoun.
       • He declared himself to be innocent.
         • He expects to be back soon.
           • paratactic
         • hypotactic
   • verbs of perception
     • inf. alternates with the participle
     • completed event
     • verb of perception active => bare inf.
       • verb of perc. pasive => to-inf.
         • He was seen to enter/entering the house.
       • I heard the door bang/banging.
     • nominal element between verb of perception and inf.
       • = O of the verb and S of inf. /participle
   • causative verbs: make, have, bid, let
     • bare inf. when active
   • know
     • present perfect, past perfect => optionally bare inf.
       • I´ve never known him (to) behave like that.
   • tell, advise, forbid, teach, write...
     • inf. conveys the meaning of a directive
       • She told me to wait.
   • after ask, decide, describe, know, show, tell, wonder...
     • inf may be introduced by WH-word
       • I don´t know where to go.
   • S/agent may be introduced by a preposition
     • depending on complementation of the verb
       • I have arranged for a car to meet you at the airport.
   • nominal element is separated from the verb
     • preposition is obligatory
       • I want very much for you to go.
   • inf after intransitive verbs
     • usually functioning as an adverbial, sometimes related so closely...reminiscent of transitive complementation
       • I failed to understand