Moody Infinitive

Present Infinitive (to eat): To show same-time action or action later than the verb.

In an effort to reduce their inventories, Italian vintners have cut prices; their wines have been priced to sell, and they do.

In the above sentence, the price cut is done now and the reduction in inventories will happen later.

Perfect Infinitive (to have eaten): To show action earlier than the verb.

They consider the Gadha Gang to have been taught very well.

The infinitive "to have been taught" indicates the time prior to the verb "consider".

Have a look at the following example:-

A firm that specializes in the analysis of handwriting claims from a one-page writing sample that it can assess more than three hundred personality traits, including enthusiasm, imagination, and ambition.

(A) from a one-page writing sample that it can assess.
(B) from a one-page writing sample it has the ability of assessing
(C) the ability, from a one-page writing sample, of assessing
(D) to be able, from a one-page writing sample, to assess
(E) being able to assess, from a one-page writing sample,

In the above sentence:-

1) Logically the connection has to develop between claims and firm's assertion.
2) To assess is idiomatic.

In option A with the placement of that after "sample", it produces an unintended statement that the claims were made on the basis of one page writing sample.
Option B- "the ability of assessing" is unidiomatic.
Option C- the ability.. of assessing is unidiomatic.
Option D- correctly follows both logical and idiomatic path.
Option E- "claims being able to assess" is ungrammatical.


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