The Use of the Bare Infinitive
The Infinitive without the particle “to” is called “the bare infinitive”.
After auxiliary verbs: e.g. 1 don't understand it
After modal verbs except ought to, to be to, to have to: e.g. One must love what he has.
After verbs of sense perception, such as to hear, to see, to feel etc. in the Complex Object:
E.g. I heard him open the doors.
I felt my heart jump.
Note: The verb to be after the verb to feel is used with the particle “to”:
e.g. I felt it to be true.
4. After the verb to let:
e.g. Let it be so as it is.
5. After the verbs to make and to have in the meaning of “заставлять, опускать, велеть”: e.g. What makes you think so?
I had them take my luggage.
After the verb to bid (предлагать):
e.g. I thought she would bid me take a seat.
After had better, would sooner, would rather, nothing but, cannot but, nothing but, cannot choose but:
e.g. I can't but think so. Не могу не думать.
There was nothing to do but wait.
9. After why:
e.g. Why do it? Why not do it?
10. After the verb to know when its meaning approaches that of to see, to observe (the verbs to know never has this meaning in the Present Indefinite):
e.g. I have so often known a change of medicine work wonders. (Shaw)
Я так часто замечал, что перемена лекарства творит чудеса.
11. After the verbs to hear, to see, to make, to know in the Passive Voice he to-Infinitive is used:
e.g. He was heard to mention your name several times.
Слышали, как он несколько раз упомянул ваше имя.
The child was made to obey.
Ребенка заставили слушаться.
The particle to is often used without the infinitive if it is easily understood from the context:
e.g. He and his three men could not defend Rollingen even if they wanted to. (Heym)
Он и трое его солдат не могли бы оборонять Роллинген, даже если бы захотели.
13. The particle to may be separated from the infinitive by an adverb – split infinitive (it is hardly ever used in colloquial English).
E.g. He was unable, however, to long keep silence. (Galsworthy)
Он был, однако, не в состоянии долго молчать.
Syntactical Functions of the Infinitive
I. The Infinitive as a Subject
E.g. To tell her the truth is not necessary.
It is (was) necessary
important to do
difficult to be doing smth
simple, etc
E.g. It was nice to be speaking English again.
II. As Part of a Predicate
a) part of a compound verbal predicate:.
with modal verbs and modal expressions e.g. I can tell you everything.
with verbs denoting various stages of actions - its duration, beginning or end e.g. I begin to understand you.
They gradually ceased to talk. They continued to whisper.
b) part of a compound nominal predicate (predicative) e.g. My intention was to see her as soon as possible.
Ill As Object
a) as the only object of the verb with such verbs as to agree, to arrange, to decide, to manage, to fear, to forget, to refuse, to promise, to fail, to plan, to hope, to seem, to pretend etc.
E.g. She agreed to come at 10.
as one of the two objects of the verb (with the verbs of inducement) - to advise, to leave, to make, to order, to let, to want, to ask, to expect, to help, to tell, to order, to warn, to invite etc. E.g. Tell him to hurry.
as the object with certain adjectives or participles: glad, pleased, anxious etc. E.g. I am glad to see you here.
with certain statives denoting psychological states such as afraid, agog, ashamed E.g. I am afraid to step inside the house.
IV. As Attribute
a) with nouns
E.g. The best thing to do is to go back.
with pronouns in -body, -thing, -one E.g. Have you anything to offer me?
ordinal numeral and adjectives last and next E.g. Jack was the first to come.
She was the last to reach the hall.
after quantitative adjectives much, little, more, less, enough E.g. I have no more to add.
the noun substitute one
E.g. I am not the one to discuss it.
V. As an Adverbial Modifier
a) of result (after adjectives modified by too and enough) E.g. You are too young to understand it.
You are old enough to understand it.
b) of purpose
E.g. I have come to speak to you.
of comparison and manner (as if, as though] E.g. She moved her hand as if to stop him.
of attendant circumstances (сопутствующие обстоятельства)
E.g. She opened the door to see the cat.