What are the two interpretations of the role of the INFINITIVE which is dependent upon a verb and follows it?

E.g.: Ted likes to swim.

The first approach is that the infinitive occupies the position of the object.

The second approach is that the infinitive occupies the position of the predicative.

In the first case the predicate appears to be simple.

In the second case the predicate appears to be compound verbal consisting of:

the finite part expressed by:

- phase verbs (start, begin, end, continue),

- verbs expressing the idea of planning (plan, intend, offer, propose),

- verbs expressing the subject’s attitude to the action denoted by the infinitive (want, wish, desire,

like, love, dislike, hate)

and the predicative (= the infinitive).

(1) Those who believe that the infinitive occupies the position of the object, support their point of view by the fact that the infinitive in the given combinations can be replaced with a noun, which appears to be the object: plan to go – plan an attack; want to help – want some water; start to run – start a quarrel; continue to read - continue the discussion; propose to ask – propose a way of settlement; like to swim – like candy.

In compound verbal (modal) predicates (can go, must help, should understand) the infinitive cannot be replaced with a noun: * can a trip; * must a walk – here the infinitive is part of the compound predicate and occupies the position of the predicative (Б.А. Ильиш).

(2) The other point of view is that the infinitive cannot occupy the position of the object. It occupies the position of the predicative – here the infinitive is part of the compound verbal predicate, in which the first constituent does not denote an action but denotes the subject’s attitude to the action.

For example, А.И. Смирницкий writes that the infinitive cannot function as an objective complement because:

(a) the infinitive is never preceded by a preposition, i.e. it cannot be a prepositional object. According to А.И. Смирницкий, non-prepositional objects can only exist in opposition to prepositional ones (they make up a privative binary opposition, the prepositional object being the marked member of the opposition). If one of the members of the category disappears, the whole category disappears too;

(b) the infinitive is sometimes used in positions where no noun objects are used: I am glad to see you.