Infinitive

In modern English the infinitive has the following forms:

	Active	Passive
Indefinite Continuous Perfect Perfect Continuous	to write to be writing to have written to have been writing	be written - to have been written -

Negative form; not + Infinitive

She asked me not to forget to post the letter.

Like the tense distinctions of all verbals those of the infinitive are also relative. It means that the Indefinite and Continuous Infinitive express an action simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb. The Continuous Infinitive shows an action in progress.

I am glad to meet you. Рад познакомиться с вами.

I was glad to see Mr Paul. Я был рад видеть мистера Пола.

Mr Forsyte will be glad to see you. Мистер Форсайт будет рад видеть вас.

Не pretended to be sleeping. Он притворился, что спит.

I'm glad to have met him. Я рад, что встретил его.

The Perfect Infinitive denotes an action prior to that of the finite verb. It is often used after some expressions (to be + adjective), to be glad, to be happy, to be sorry, to be s. it is clever/kind/silly of you, etc.

I was sorry to have said it. Я сожалел, что сказал это (раньше),

He must have forgotten about it. Он, должно быть, забыл об этом.

Only two forms of the Infinitive (the Indefinite Active and Passive to ask/to be asked) have corresponding forms in Russian. There are no corresponding forms for the Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous Infinitive, hence they can be tran slated only in a sentence.

The Infinitive of transitive verbs has special forms for the Active and Passive Voice.

It is wonderful to love and to be loved. Прекрасно любить и быть любимым.

1. (A, B) State the form of the Infinitive. Translate the sentence

1. To go on with this discussion is to waste time. 2. Oh, I'm sorry to have taken so much of your time. 3. It all sounds too good to be true. 4. We assembled to discuss our plans. 5. Now, the first thing to settle is what to take with us. 6. He was the first to raise the question. 7. A celebration such as this was a chance not to be missed. 8. Lookback to make sure you haven't left anything behind. 9. She was the last to realize how dangerous it was. 10. You're a bachelor with no family to take care of. 11.I didn’t come here to be shouted at. 12. He came here to speak to me, not to you. 13. To meet the demands for goods, new shops have been opened in the town. 14. The plan will be discussed at the meeting to be held on May 25.

2. (C) Insert the Infinitive in the appropriate form and translate the sentences into Russian.

Mr. Abbot was the first... the silence, (to break). 2. The next patient... was a nice girl in her early ‘teens. (to examine). 3. Honesty is the first principle... when working with us. (to observe). 4. He complained that he was always the last... (to inform). 5.I am the last man … a question of the kind. (to ask). 6. They were among the last... (to arrive). 7. He found that he was the only one... the discrepancy. (to notice). 8. If there is to be a vacancy I would like to be the one... the job (to offer). 9. These houses were among the few... after a great fire … (to survive). 10. Who was the youngest chess player... the title of All-Union Champion?(to win). 11. The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre players were the second British company... the Soviet Union (to visit). 12. The Nurenberg trial was the biggest international trial... ever... (to hold).

Text 2

1. Read the text. Use the vocabulary after the text if necessary. Do the exercises after the text.