General Information

The Infinitive is the base form of the verb and thus it has some features of the verb: aspect and voice distinctions (to play, to be playing, to have played, to have been playing, to be played). (see § 3)

At the same time the Infinitive has nominal character which is revealed in its functions (a Subject, Predicative, Object, etc.) as you will see later in § 4.

§ 2 The Use of Particle TO with the Infinitive

The Infinitive is usually used with the particle to:

They decided to get married.

She failed to attract his attention.

I promised not to be late.

The structure Verb + to-Infinitive is consistent with the verbs in the box:

offer, ask, hope, decide, learn, manage, tell, promise, invite, attempt, plan, forget, fail, order, threaten, agree, aim, arrange, deserve, remind, refuse, want, urge, like, instruct, would like, expect, intend, force

Yet the Infinitive can be used without the particle to and is called the bare Infinitive:

Ann must be late

Why not solve this problem?

So the Infinitive is divided into two types: to-Infinitive and bare Infinitive.

The bare Infinitive is used:

1)after modal verbs ( except 'ought to ’):

She can’t go now.

We might go to the cinema.

2) after the verbs let, have/make (in the meaning of 'compel'):

The teacher didn’t let the boys leave.

She made them stay in after school.

I had them take my luggage.

3) after the verbs of sense perception: see, hear, feel, know (in the meaning of 'see', 'observe'):

I never saw you look so before.

I felt my heart jump.

I have often known a change of medicine work wonders.

Note: after the verbs hear, see, make, know in the Passive Voice the to-Infinitive is used.

He was made to work twenty hours a day.

They were seen to leave the house early.

4) after the expressions: had better, would rather, would sooner, cannot but, nothing but, why not:

I would rather not speak on the subject.

I cannot but think so.

You had better go to bed now.

Why not explain everything to her?

She does nothing but make scenes.

E X E R C I S E S