Infinitive without to

The bare infinitive is used in several different cases:

A. After the auxiliary verbs can (could), may (might), shall (should), will
(would), must, do

They could do it today. I may as well go now. I don’t work on Sundays.

B. After need and dare in negative sentences, except when they are conjugated
with do/did or will/would.

You needn’t say anything but You don’t/won’t need to say anything.

I dared not wake him but I didn’t/wouldn’t dare to wake him.

Note that affirmative modal forms of need and dare with the bare infinitive
are mainly used in a formal style:

I wonder if we need take special visas.

In informal usage we usually use the ordinary verb forms:

I wonder if we need to take special visas.

C. After let, make, hear, see, feel, watch, notice, have, help (it can be
followed by both full and bare infinitives)

They let them see the documents.

He made me move my car.

Have Mrs. Smith come in.

Could you help me unload the car?

But if these verbs are used in the passive voice, the infinitive takes to

He was seen to enter the room.

They were made to work.

Let in the passive is often replaced by another verb:

They let me know… would be replaced by I was told…

They let him see the documents by He was allowed to see them.

D. After had better, had (would) rather, had (would) sooner, need hardly,
cannot but

You’d better tell him the truth.

I had (would) rather not see him.

I’d sooner take a taxi than walk.

I need hardly tell you how serious the matter is.

I cannot but agree to his terms.

E. If two infinitives are joined by and or or the to of the second infinitive is
normally dropped:

I’d like to lie down and go to sleep.

Do you want to have lunch now or wait till later?

F. but and except take the bare infinitive when they follow do + anything/
nothing/everything

He does nothing but complain.

We had nothing to do except look at the posters outside the cinemas.

My dog does everything but speak.

G. than and rather than are usually followed by the infinitive without to

It’s easier to persuade people than force them.

Rather than wait any more, I decided to go home by a taxi.

H. The to is optional in clauses which explain the exact meaning of do:

The only thing to do is (to) write to him.

All I did was (to) give him a little push.

I. Why (not) + infinitive (without to)

Why + infinitive (without to) can be used to introduce questions. The point
of the question is usually to suggest that it is stupid or pointless to do some
thing.

Why pay more at other shops? We have the lowest prices in town.

Why stand up if you can sit down? Why sit down if you can lie down?

Why not + infinitive (without to) introduces suggestions and advice.

Why not let me lend you some money?

Why not take a holiday?

The infinitive with to is used in all other cases.

The Infinitive Represented by its to

An infinitive can be represented by to alone to avoid repetition. This
construction occurs when the to refers to a verb that has previously been used
with to.

I shall go if I want to (go).

Did you get a ticket?

~ No, I tried to (get a ticket), but there weren’t any left.

Split Infinitives

A ‘split infinitive’ is a structure in which to and the rest of the infinitive are
separated by an adverb.

He likes to half close his eyes.

He was too ill to really carry out his duty.

It used to be considered bad style, but there is now a more relaxed attitude to
this. A lot of people avoid it if possible, placing the adverb before the to, or
in end-position in the sentence. However, it is not always possible to construct
sentences in other ways without changing the meaning:

Your job is to really make the club a success.

(Here really intensifies the meaning of make)

Your job is really to make the club a success.

(Here Your job is really means ‘The real purpose of your job…)

But it is safer to keep to the traditional order of words.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1295