Sir Faisal Amin

1.       A simple infinitive is the base form of verb, with or with out to
          Bare- infinitive:   I would rather sit at the back.
          To-infinitive   :     I would prefer to sit at the back.
          Examples:            I missed the program. I would like to have seen it.
                                      (=I regret that I didn’t do or couldn’t do it.)
                                      The weather seems to be getting worse.
2.       A simple infinitive refers to the same time as in the main clause.
          I’m pleased to meet you.(=The pleasure and the meeting are both in the present.)
          You were lucky to win. (=The luck and the victory are both in the past.)
          Note: We use a perfect infinitive for something before the time and the main clause
          I would like to have seen the program yesterday.
          (=The desire is in the present but the program is in the past.)
          You are lucky to be winning. (=You are winning at the moment.)
          Note: In the negatives, not comes before the infinitive.
          I would rather not sit at the front.
          I would prefer not to sit at the front.
          It’s better to do it now than (to) leave it to the last minute.
          I’m going to go out and have a good time.
         
3.       An infinitive clause can be just an infinitive on its own, or there can be an object or
          adverbial.
          A ride on a London bus is the best way to see the city.
          We need to act quickly.

4.       A preposition comes in its normal place, usually after a verb or adjective.
          Your meals are all you have to pay for.
          There’s noting to get excited about.
          I need a vase to put these flowers in.
5.       We can sometimes use to-infinitive clause as subject
          To defrost this fridge takes ages.
          To turn down the invitation seems rude.
          Not to take a holiday now and then is a great mistake.
Note: But this pattern is not very usual. More often we use if as an empty subject.
          It takes ages to defrost this fridge.
          Would it seem rude to turn down the invitation?
          It’s a great mistake not to take a holiday now and then.
Note: But we often use a gerund clause as a subject.
          Defrosting this fridge takes ages.
Note: A to-infinitive clause can be a complement after be.
          Her ambition is to go to America.
          The important thing is not to panic.
          The idea was to surprise everybody.

 6.      A to-infinitive clause can express purpose.
          I’m writing to enquire about activity holidays.
 Note: In informal British English we use the forms go and come and rather than go to/
          come to.
          Come and have a look at this.
          I’ll go and fetch a hammer.
          After going or coming we use to-infinitive.
          Mark is coming to look at the photos.
7.       We can sometimes use a to-infinitive clause to express result, although this use is
          rather literary.
          She came home to find her house on fire.
          He grew up to be a handsome young man.


 Note: The to-infinitive can express the idea of “Bad News” following “Good News”. We
          often use only before the infinitive.
          I found my keys only to lose them again.
          He arrived for the concert (only) to find it had been cancelled.
         
Note: An infinitive clause can also express a comment on the sentence.
          To be frank, you didn’t make a very good impression.
          I’m a bit tired of sightseeing, to tell you the truth.

 8.      We can use to-infinitive after some verbs.
          I plan to visit India next year.
          People are refusing to pay the new tax.
9.       We can use seem, appear, happen, tend, come, grow, turn out and prove with a
          to-infinitive.
          The plane seems to be losing height.(=It was apparently losing height.)
          We happened to meet in the street. (=We met by chance in the street.)
 10.    Verbs taking only to-infinitive.
          afford, agree, aim, appear, arrange, ask, attend, be, be dying, back, can’t wait, care,
          choose, claim, come, dare, decide, demand, expect, fail, get(=succeed), grow,   
          guarantee, happen, hasten, have, help, hesitate, hope, learn, long, manage, neglect,
          offer, omit, ought to, plan, prepare, pretend, promise, prove, refuse, see, seem,
          swear, tend, threaten, train, turn out, undertake, used to, wish.
11.     Verbs taking only Gerund
          admit, advise, allow, anticipate, appreciate, avoid, can’t help, confess, consider,
          delay, deny, detest, dislike, enjoy, escape, excuse, fancy(=want), finish, give up,
          imagine, involve, justify, keep (on), leave off, mention, mind, miss, permit,
 `       postpone, practise, put off, quit, recommend, resent, resist, resume, risk, save,
          stand, suggest, tolerate.
Note: a)      Afford (=have enough money/time) and stand (=tolerate) go after can/could
                    or be able to.
          Do you think we’ll be able to afford to go to India?
          I can’t stand sitting around doing nothing.

          b)      We can use agree with a to-infinitive but NOT accept.
          She agreed to pay half the cost.
          c)       We use be dying(=want very much) only in the continuous.
          I’m dying to have a swim.
          d)      Care and mind are normally in a negative sentence or a question.
          Would you care to come along with us?
          Do you mind carrying this bag for me?
          e)      After help we can leave out to.
          We all helped (to) put up the tent.
          f) When advise, recommend, allow or permit has another object, it takes a to-
          infinitive.
          I advised taking a taxi.
          I advised the girls to take a taxi.

12.     Some verbs can take either a to-infinitive or a gerund with almost no difference in
          meaning.
          I hate to leave/hate leaving everything to the last time.
          When the president appeared, the crowd began to cheer/began cheering.
          These verbs are: begin, bother, can’t bear, cease, commence, continue, hate,            intend, like, love, prefer, purpose, start.
          a)      With the verbs of liking and hating, sometimes the gerund gives a sense of the    action really happening, while the infinitive often points to a possible action.
          I hate doing the same thing all the time.
          It gets really boring sometimes.
          Note: Like, love and hate usually take a gerund, but would like, would love and            would hate normally take a to-infinitive.
          I love swimming.
          I would love to go for a swim.
          Note:
          I did not like to complain. (=I didn’t complain because it wasn’t a good idea)
          I did not like complaining. (=I complained, but I didn’t enjoy it.)


          b)      After start, begin and continue, a state verb usually has the to-infinitive form.
                    after it.
          The spectators were beginning to arrive. NOT beginning arriving.
          c)       Bother is normally in a negative sentence or question.
                   Don’t bother to wash/bother washing up.
 13.    Either forms but different meanings
          The to-infinitive and gerund have different meanings after remember, forget,    
          regret, dread, try, stop, mean, go on, need, want, require and deserve.
          a)      We use remember and forget with a to-infinitive to talk about necessary
                    actions and whether we do them or not.
           Did you remember to turn off the electricity?
          You forgot to sign the cheque.~ Oh, sorry.
          Note: We use a gerund to talk about the memories of the past.
          I will never forget sneezing in the middle of the meeting.
          I don’t know. I can’t remember turning it off.
         
          b) We use regret + to-infinitive for a present action, especially when giving bad
          news. We use a gerund to express regret about the past.
          We regret to inform you that your application has been turned down.
          I regret wasting/having wasted so much time last year.

          c) Sorry about/for or sorry to have done expresses an apology for an earlier action.
          Sorry with a simple to-infinitive to express regret about what we say or hear.
          I’m sorry to have to say this, but your work is far from satisfactory.
          I was sorry to hear your bad news.

          d) We use dread + to-infinitive mainly in the expression I dread to think/imagine…
          We use a gerund for something that causes fear.
          I dread to think what might happen to you all alone in a big city.
          I always dreaded being punished by my teacher.
          e) Try+ to-infinitive means “attempt to do” and try+ gerund means “do something
          which might solve the problem”.
          I am trying to light a fire, but this wood won’t burn.~ Why don’t you try pouring
          some petrol on it?
          Note: In informal English we can use try and instead of try to.
          Let’s try and move the cupboard away from the wall.
          f)       After stop we use the to-infinitive of purpose. But stop+ gerund means to end
          an action.
          At the next station he stopped to buy a newspaper.
          You better stop dreaming and get on with some work.
          g)       Mean+ to-infinitive has the sense of “intend”. But mean+ gerund expresses
          result, what is involved in something.
          I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to step on your foot.
          I have to be at the air port at nine. It means getting up early.
          h)      Go on + to-infinitive means to do something different, to do the next thing.
          Go on + gerund means to continue doing something.
          After receiving the award, the actor went on to thank all the people who had    
          helped him in his career.
          The band went on playing even after everyone had left.
          i) We usually use need, want and deserve with a to-infinitive.
          We need to leave at eight.
          Tony wants to borrow your typewriter.
•        A gerund after these verbs has a passive meaning.
          The typewriter needs/wants cleaning.
 14.    Verbs + object + to-infinitive
          Some verbs can take an object and a to-infinitive.
          I expected Dave to meet me at the airport.
          Your landlady wants you to post these letters.
          We asked the teacher not to give us any homework.
Here Dave is the object of the verb expected. It also functions as the subject of to meet.
Compare these sentences.
          I expected to see Dave. (=I expected (that) I would see Dave.)
Note: Verbs meaning “order” or “request”.
          The doctor told her to stay in bed.
          We persuaded our neighbours to turn the music down.
•        We can similarly use these verbs; advise, ask, beg, command, encourage, instruct,
          advise, order, persuade, recommend, remind, request, tell, urge, warn.
Note: Verbs meaning “cause” or “help”
          The crisis has forced the government to act.
          This portable phone enables me to keep in touch with the office.
          We can use allow, authorize, cause, compel, drive, enable, forbid, force, get, help,
          intend, lead, mean, oblige, permit, require, teach, train.
Note: Verbs meaning “say” or “think”
          The judges announced the result to be a draw.
          The police believed the Mafia to have committed the crime.
          This pattern can be rather formal. We can use announce, assume, believe, consider,
          declare, discover, estimate, expect, feel, find, imagine, judge, know, presume,
          report, reveal, show, suppose, understand.
Note: Verbs meaning “wanting” or “liking”
          I want everyone to enjoy themselves.
          I’d like you to hold the door open for me.
•        We can use want, wish, (would) like, (would) love, (would) prefer, (would) hate,
          and can’t bear.
•        The main clause can’t be passive.
          NOT Every one is wanted to enjoy themselves.
•        But the infinitive can be passive.
          I would like the door to be held open.
15.     The pattern It was easy to write the letter.
          A common pattern is it + is linking verb + adjective + to-infinitive clause.
          It was marvelous to visit the Grand Canyon.
          It is difficult to solve the problem.
          It is rare to see a horse and cart nowadays.
          It felt very strange to be watched by so many people.
•        Good/bad: marvellous, terrific, wonderful, perfect, great, good, nice, pleasant,
          lovely, terrible, awful, dreadful, horrible.
•        Adjective in ing: interesting, exciting, depressing, confusing, embarrassing,
          amusing.
•        Difficulty, danger and expense: easy, difficult, hard, convenient, possible,
          impossible, safe, dangerous, cheap, expensive.
•        Necessity: necessary, vital, essential, important, advisable, better/best.
•        Frequency: usual, normal, common, rare.
•        Comment: strange, odd, incredible, natural, understandable.
•        Personal qualities: good, nice, kind, helpful, mean, generous, clever, intelligent,
          sensible, right, silly, stupid, foolish, careless, wrong, polite, rude.
16.     The pattern The letter was easy to write
          Here we understand the letter as the object of to write.
          The Grand Canyon was marvellous to visit.
          The problem is difficult to solve.
          Would gas be any cheaper to cook with?
Note: In this pattern we can use some adjectives meaning “good” or “bad” and adjectives
of difficulty, danger and expense.
•        There is no object after the to-infinitive in this pattern.
          NOT The problem is difficult to solve it.
•        We can use impossible in this pattern, but we cannot use possible.
          The problem is impossible to solve.
•        The adjective can come before a noun.
          It was a marvellous experience to visit the Grand Canyon.
          It is a difficult problem to solve.
          It is a rare thing to see a horse and cart nowadays.