2015-08-21
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Some fixed phrases are introduced by a to-infinitive: e.g. to be honest, to begin with to cut a long story short, to get (back) to the point, not to make too much of it, to put it another way, to tell you the truth To tell you the truth, I've never heard of Maxwell Montague
Verb (+ noun/pronoun) + to-infinitive
16.19 Verb + to-infinitive (not + '-ing' or 'that...') [compare > 16.42]
We can say:
/ can't afford a car She hesitated for a moment But if we want to use a verb after can('t) afford or hesitate, this verb can only be in the form of a to-infinitive:
/ can't afford to buy a car I hesitate to disagree with you Other verbs like can('t) afford and hesitate are: aim, apply, decline fail, hasten hurry long, manage offer, prepare, refuse, seek, shudder, strive, struggle. For more examples [> App 46]. The perfect/ past form of the infinitive (e.g. to have run) is rare after such verbs.
16 The infinitive and the '-ing' form
16.20 Verb + optional noun/pronoun + fo-infinitive
Some verbs can be used with or without a noun or pronoun before a
to-infinitive:ask beg, choose expect hate help intend, like, love
need prefer prepare promise want wish [> App46.1]. (Trouble can
also be used in this way, normally in questions and negatives.) Note
how the meaning changes:
/ want to speak to the manager (= I will speak)
/ want you to speak to the manager (= you will speak)
Promise is an exception: there is a difference in emphasis but not in
meaning between / promise to and / promise you to
Like love, hate and prefer are often used in the simple present to
refer to habitual personal choice and preference [compare > 16.58]:
/ like to keep everything tidy (refers to my actions)
/ like you to keep everything tidy (refers to your actions)
These verbs can also be used after would to make specific offers,
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requests etc. [> 11.35, 11.37-39 and compare > 16.12.3]:
I'd like to find you a job (refers to my possible future action)
I'd like you to find him a job (your possible future action)
16.21 Verb + compulsory noun/pronoun + fo-infinitive
Some verbs must normally always be followed by a noun or pronoun when used with a to-infinitive: advise allow, assist, bribe, cause, caution challenge, charge, command, compel condemn dare (= challenge), defy direct drive (= compel), enable, encourage, entitle forbid force impel implore incite induce, instruct invite oblige order, permit persuade, press (= urge), recommend remind reguest, teach tell tempt, urge and warn. All these verbs can be used in the passive as well as the active: / advise you to leave You were advised to leave
It takes/took + object + to-infinitive often refers to time in relation to activity. An indirect object is optional:
It takes/took (me) ten minutes to walk to the station The same idea can be expressed with a personal subject:
/ take/took ten minutes to walk to the station
16.22 Verb + object + 'to be' and other infinitive forms
Some verbs can be followed by an object + to be (and by a few stative verbs [> 9.3] like to have): acknowledge assume, believe, calculate consider, declare, discover estimate, fancy, feel, find guess imagine judge know maintain proclaim prove reckon, see show suppose, take (= presume), think understand
I consider him to be one of the best authorities in the country
She is known to have the best collection of stamps in the world Other infinitive forms are sometimes possible:
She is believed to be going/to have gone to the USA These verbs are very frequently used in the passive and can often be followed by passive infinitives:
He is thought to have been killed in an air crash
Verb + to-infinitive or {that-) clause
All these verbs (except take - I take it (that)...) can also be followed
directly by fhat-clauses (/ assume (that)). [> App 45]
A few verbs like believe expect, intend, like, love, mean, prefer,
understand, want and wish can be followed by there to be:
I expect there to be a big response to our advertisement
Verb + fo-infinitive or (that-)clause
