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Verb + Infinitive

Expressing intent about activity

The Scream by Edvard Munch
"The Scream" by Edvard Munch
 

 

 

FULL CLAUSE 

After a number of verbs, often expressing hopes or wishes about a future activity, a full clause is reduced to an infinitive clause. (The clause is part of the underlying sentence structure not actually used in speech or writing.)                                                        
SUBJECT VERB FULL CLAUSE COMPLEMENT

Ed    

needs 

[that Ed gets some help]

Ed   

hopes 

[that Ed finds some peace and quiet]

Ed   

likes 

[that Ed receives attention]

Ed   

hates 

[that Ed hears criticism from others]  

INIFINITIVE CLAUSE

An infinitive clause is a reduced clause: (1) the verb form, an infinitival verb form, is not marked for tense, person, or number; (2) the subject is usually omitted but can be understood as the subject of the main (matrix) clause.  *[Ed needs for Ed to get some help.]
SUBJECT VERB INFINITIVE CLAUSE COMPLEMENT

Ed    

needs 

to get some help. 

Ed   

hopes 

to find some peace and quiet.

Ed   

likes 

to receive attention.

Ed   

hates 

to hear criticism from others.
 

complement – a word, phrase or clause which is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning
criticism (n.) – negative comments
*The subject of an infinitive clause is expressed as [for + noun] (accusative pronoun).  See Verb + Obj + Infinitive 
(CaGEL 1178)

 

 

 

Verbs Followed by Infinitives 
VERB + INFINITIVE VERB + INFINITIVE VERB + INFINITIVE VERB + INFINITIVE

afford     I can afford to buy it.

continue¹   I continue to work there.

like¹ I like to swim.

regret   I regret to tell you this.

agree     I agreed to help her.

decide      I can afford to buy it.

would like I'd like to go with you.

remember²   I remembered to lock it.

appear  You appear to be lost.

demand   He demanded to know.

love¹   I love to dance.

seem   He seems to be relaxed.

arrange  I arranged to meet them.

deserve¹  You deserve to win.

manage  I'll manage to survive.

start¹   It started to snow.

ask          I asked to go along.

desire  She desires to see you.

mean  I didn't mean to hurt you.

struggle   I struggle to do well.

attempt¹ I attempted to explain.

expect  I expect to be a little late.

need  I need to ask them.

swear   I swear to be true.

beg        I begged to go too.

fail   I failed to get an A.

neglect¹   I neglected to do my work.

tend   I tend to be on time.

begin¹    I began to take classes.

forget²  I forgot to call you.

offer   I offered to pay for it.

threaten   I hope to see you soon.

can't bear   I can't bear to leave.

hate  I hate to miss your show.

plan   I plan to leave soon.

try²   I try to help often.

can't stand¹  I can't stand to wait.

hesitate¹ I hesitate to say anything.

prefer¹   I prefer to pay less.

use³   I used to play tennis.

care        I don't care to see them.

hope  I hope to leave soon.

pretend   I pretend to be confident.

volunteer   I volunteered to cook.

choose      I choose to live here.

intend¹ I intend to win the game.

prepare   I will prepare to leave.

wait   I wanted to see the show.

claim       He claims to be smart.

learn  I learned to speak Swahili.

promise   I promise to be on time.

want   I want to leave now.

consent  She consented to marry him.

 

hope  I hope to see you soon.

refuse   I refuse to believe lies.

wish   I wish to go to Italy.

¹ This verb can be used before an infinitive or a gerund without a change in meaning  (e.g.  I began to plan my trip last week.  /   I began planning my trip last week.) 
²  See Meaning change
³ used (a former habit) — the tense is limited to past 

 

 

 

 

 

Bare Infinitives

Without to

 

 

 

Bare Infinitive – optional vs. not optional
BARE INFINITIVE – OPTIONAL

When the verbs dare and need are used as modals, the bare infinitive form follows. The verb help  optionally takes the bare infintive form.                                          

VERB INFIN / BARE INFIN COMPLEMENT

We didn't dare
Dare we

to go on vacation this year.
    go on vacation this year.

Did we need
Need we

to ask permission?
     ask  permission?

They helped

to get the project done.
    get the project done.

 

 

 

 

 

 
BARE INFINITIVE

Modals are followed by bare infinitive forms. (We can go.)  An expression with a similar meaning usually requires to. (We are able to go.)  See Modal Auxiliaries.
MODAL / MODAL EXPRESSION INFIN / BARE INFIN COMPLEMENT

We can  
We are able

    go on vacation each year.
to go on vacation each year.

We should  
It would be a good idea

    take a trip.
to take a trip.

We must  
We have

    ask permission first.
to ask permission first.

We may  
We have  permission

    leave early.
to leave early.

We will  
We are going

    depart  at 6 p.m.
to depart at 6 p.m.

We would rather  

    go  at 5 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Verb + Infinitive

Negatives

shopper
 
Negative main verb vs. negative infinitive
NEGATIVE MAIN VERB

Use a negative verb if the speaker has no particular intention to do something.
NO PARTICULAR INTENTION ACTIVITY

I don't plan
(Either I have no plans or shopping downtown is not included in my plans.)

to shop downtown.  

I don't want 
(Buying shoes is not on my "want list".)

to buy anymore shoes. 

I don't choose 
(I am not a decision maker.  The fashionistas make this decision.)

to wear fashionable shoes. 
NEGATIVE INFINITIVE

Use a negative infinitive if the speak has a clear intention to avoid something.
INTENTION AVOIDED ACTIVITY

I plan

not to shop downtown.  
(Shopping downtown is not included in my plans.)                                

I want

not to buy shoes.  
(This is my desire—no shoes!)

I choose
(I make the decision—no fashionable shoes for me.)

not to wear fashionable shoes.  
 

subtle – not easy to notice or understand unless you pay careful attention; not obvious

 

 

 

 

 

Verb + Infinitive

Double -ing

 

 

 

Avoiding Double –ing
DOUBLE -ING

Usually a speaker will vary the wording of a sentence that links same-form verbs. That is to say, the person will avoid using two -ing forms or two "to" forms in a series.                                            

*Justin was continuing  driving without his glasses. 

Justin continued driving without his glasses.

*Justin was starting wearing his glasses. 

Justin started wearing his glasses.

He won't dare [to] continue to refuse paying for the gas. 

She intends to try persuading him to help her [to] change her car tire. 
SWITCHING TO AN INFINITIVE

For those verbs (e.g.,attempt, begin, can't stand, continue, deserve, hesitate, intend, like, love, neglect, prefer, start) that do not change in meaning, the speaker can can switch to an  infinitive form.

Justin was continuing  to drive without his glasses.   

Justin was starting to wear his glasses   

He won't dare to continue to refuse to pay for the gas.   

She intends to try to persuade him to help her  to change her car tire.  
 

*Yellow highlighted words are examples of incorrect usage.
"The double-ing constraint" (CaGEL 14.5.6.1)

 

 

 

 

 

Advanced – Infinitive / Gerund

Meaning Differs

glasses
 

 

Infinitive vs. Gerund meaning
INFINITIVE—MEANING 1

Some verbs change meaning when followed by an infinitive or gerund.

Justin tried to wear his glasses all day.   (attempted)

Justin stopped to put on his glasses.   (purpose; "so that he could")

Justin remembered to put on his glasses .   (didn't forget; he did put them on)

Justin forgot to put on his glasses .   (didn't put them on)
GERUND—MEANING 2

The verbs below vary in meaning from the verbs on the left.

Justin tried wearing his glasses all day.   (experimented with a new method)

Justin stopped putting on his glasses.   (ended)

Justin remembered putting on his glasses.   (recalled the action)

Justin forgot putting on his glasses.   (couldn't recalled the action)
 

 

 

 

 

 

Grammar Notes

Traditional and Linguistic Description

Advanced

 

 

TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTION LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION

In traditional grammar,  an "infinitive "phrase" was a nominal form used as the object of the verb.

 

Click to enlarge a diagram below.

In current grammar, the verb+ infintive is a "simple" construction. The clause complements specific verbs which form a sub-category. (See list a above.) .  The understood subject of the matrix (main) clause is the same as the subject of the infinitive clause:  Ed needs (for Ed) to get some help. For more precise and complete details, see CaGEL  — To-infinitivals with and without a subject (1178); The clause subordinator for (1181); accusative rather than nominative pronoun forms (1182); The infinitival subordinator to (1183); understood subjects (1192)
 

PARSE DIAGRAM — Ed needs to get some help. TREE DIAGRAM — Ed needs to get some help.

Ed needs to get some help.
  

 

tree diagram      

Click the diagram to enlarge it.
Also see Nonfinite Clause Diagrams

 

Categories:  NP –noun phrase; N – noun; VP – verb phrase; V – verb; Det – determiner; PP – prepositional phrase; P – preposition; AdvP – adverb phrase; Adv – adverb; AdjP– adjective phrase; Adj – adjective; Subord – Subordinator;  Coord – Coordinator; Interj – Interjection

Functions: Subject:  Subject,   Predicate: Predicator (V) Complement:  elements required by the verb: object, indirect object, predicative complement  Adjuncts: (optional modifiers) Adj,  Adv, clause

Clause; Subject / Predicate; Finite / Nonfinite

 

 

Resources

 

 

 

 

Practice 1

Global Warming

Global Warming

 

 

 

 

 

Decide how each verb is complemented (completed).
  1. Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence. 
  2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "Check 1-10" button at the bottom, or click the "Check" button to the left  as you go.

 

1.

2.
  (area where they live)

3.
Solar PanelsPeople are trying alternative energy sources to heat homes.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practice 2

Verbs followed by infinitives or gerunds

cabbage
 

 

Correct or Incorrect?
  1. Select a response correct or incorrect.
  2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "Check 11-20" button at the bottom, or click the "Check" button to the left  as you go.

 

11.

12.
He planned among orangutans in a zoo for a month. 

13.

14.

15.
He began  carrots, cabbages, apples and oranges in their whole form.

16.
The animal keepers agreed no special food preparation to him. That is to say, they washed the cabbage and just chopped it in quarters.

17.
.

18.
Soon, he hated food arrive.  In contrast, his primate neighbors were delighted.

19.
Taylor had such intense stomach pain that the animal keepers didn't dare him anymore of the foods on the orangutans' diet.

20.
  commit (v.) – promise to do something 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practice 3

Title

 

 

 

Read for Errors

When learning how to cook, ninety per cent of the people fail learn what to cook or cook something really well.  A true chef has to know how to examine, to feel and smell food. Every young chef, hoping to create, perfect, and to present a special signature dish, begins by experimenting with strange combinations.

Chocolate and pepper, onions and papaya, strawberries and truffles—bold pairings of ingredients tend to struggle persuading us to accept them as complementary. To seek that perfect combination of flavors is daunting; it is sheer joy finding it.

complementary (adj.) – things that are different but go well together

daunting (adj.) – frightening in a way that makes you feel less confident

perfect (v.) – to make perfect (adj.) , excellent

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit for Errors
  1. Edit the sentence(s) in the text box.
  2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "Check 21-30" button at the bottom, or click the "Check" button to the left  as you go.

 

21.
When learning how to cook, ninety per cent of the people fail learn what to cook or cook something really well.


22.
A true chef has to know how to examine, to feel and smell food.


23.
Every young chef, hoping to create, perfect, and to present a special signature dish, begins by experimenting with strange combinations.
perfect (v.) – to make perfect (adj.) , excellent


24.
Chocolate and pepper, onions and papaya, strawberries and truffles—bold pairings of ingredients tend to struggle persuading us to accept them as complementary.


25.
To seek that perfect combination of flavors is daunting; it is sheer joy finding it.
daunting (adj.) – frightening in a way that makes you feel less confident