INFINITIVES
TO + VERB PRESENT FORM = INFINIIVE
To walk is good. It is easy to say but hard to do. To see her is to love her.
In the above sentences to walk, to say, to see and to love are infinitives. Infinitives are not limited by tense, subject and person and number. Hence it is a non finite verb.
1) Simple infinitives: simple infinitive is also called noun infinitive. It works as a noun. It is used…..
A) As subject of a verb: To walk in the morning is good. To err is human. To see is to love her.
B) As an object to transitive verbs: He wants to do M.A. I love to dance. He likes to sing.
C) As a Complement of a verb: It seems to be true. His target is to complete the job.
D) As the object to a preposition: The man is about to die.
E) As complement of an Object: He wants me to go there. They told him to start the meeting.
2) Gerundial infinitive: It works as an adjective. It is also called qualifying infinitive as it qualifies other parts of speech. It is used….
A) To qualify verb in sense of purpose or cause: We eat to live. We shouted to see him. They ran to catch the train. She cried to see the sight. The man worked to gain something.
B) To qualify an adjective: It is good to walk in the morning. I am happy to see you here. I am glad to receive your letter. The mother is worried to hear from her son. The teacher is not satisfied to get the answer.
C) To qualify a Noun: I have a car to sell. I have no friend to play with. He has no money to spend. There is place to sit. We have some works to finish. The boy has guardian to look after him.
D) To qualify a sentence: to be honest, to tell the truth, to be frank, to be sure etc.
E) After too construction: The man is too weak to stand. I am too busy to go out now.
F) Passive infinitive: He wanted to be called him hero.
INFINITIVES WITHOUT TO
A) After some verbs like behold, see, make, hear, watch, feel, bid, dare, help, please, need, let, know, etc.
I heard him say this. He saw me buy the book. The clown made us laugh. The auto-driver made him sit for an hour. You need not go there. Mr. Das dare not go out alone at night.
But in passive voice (except let) ‘to’ is used.
Ex: The auto-driver made him sit for an hour. Active
He was made to sit for an hour by the auto-driver. Passive
B) After defective verbs and auxiliaries verbs can, could, may, might, has, have, must, will, should, would etc. Can you (to) play chess? We should (to) obey our elders.
C) After ‘than’, ‘except’, ‘as’, ‘better’, ‘and’ no infinitive is used when receded by ‘do’.
Ex: It is better to work than sleep. It is better to reign in hell than serve in the heaven. He did nothing but (to) laugh. We tried every method except (to) look closely. It is easy to say hard to do. He did not so much as (to) say he was sorry.
SPLIT INFINITIVE
When to + verb present form is separated wrongly. Ex: I request you to kindly grant my appeal. The correct form is I request you to grant my appeal kindly. But today the use of split infinitive is very common. Hence it is correct.
MORE ABOUT INFINITIVES
A) Verb + how, what, when, where, which, why +infinitive.
Verbs used in this way are ask, decide, discover, find, forget, know, learn, remember, see, show, understand etc. ex: He asked me how to open a computer. I do not remember how to write a letter. The man discovered here to live in permanently. Please show me which book to read.
This construction is not used with the verb ‘think’ in the present and past indefinite only. I have thought to pay the electricity bill today. The girl cannot think to when to what profession to choose.
B) Whether + infinitive: I thought for a moment whether to go out or stay home. She is not able to decide whether to live with her husband or leave him.
C) VERB + OBJECT + INFINITIVE: Allow advice, command, compel, encourage, entitle, feel, forbid, force, implore, induce, invite, order, tell, request, show, train, warn, etc. The man ordered him to bring him a chair. We invited all the members to join the opening ceremony. Raja requested my father to give money. Mother told her to sleep.
Assume, believe, consider, feel, know, suppose, think, understand + to be.
I thought him to honest. We believe the story to be true.
NOUN + INFINITIVE CONSTICTION
Ability, ambition, anxiety, attempt, decision, demand, desire, effort, offer, promise, request, willingness, wish, plan + infinitive. Ex: My desire to complete M.A. remained incomplete. Their plan to visit has no guarantee. Her effort to do well in the exam is satisfactory.
PERFECT INFINITIVE: To + have + past participle= perfect infinitive. It is used after was/ were. The job was to have completed. (but but completed). He was to have spoken in the meeting.
Continuous infinitive is used after some verbs like seem, appear, happen, pretend etc. It seems to be going on now. He appears to be moving. He pretends to be writing.
USE OF INFINITIVES TO MAKE SIMPLE SENTENCE OR JOIN TWO SENTENCES.
i) Raja was singing. I heard him. Ans: I heard Raja sing.
ii) We went to Kolkata. We wanted to visit the Victoria Memorial. Ans: We went to Kolkata to visit the Victoria Memorial.
iii) The man is very weak. He cannot walk properly. Ans: The man is too weak to walk properly.
iv) God is very kind. God will not always forgive us. Ans: God is too kind not to forgive us always.
v) We must eat or we cannot live. Ans: we must eat to live.
vi) If you do not study hard, you will fail. Ans: You study hard to avoid failure.
vii) Do or die. Ans: Do to avoid death.
viii) Make haste, or else you will be late. Ans: Make haste not to be late.
ERRORS IN THE USE OF INFINITIVE
I) He bade me to go there. (wrong) He bade me go there. (correct)
II) Let him to speak for us. (wrong) Let him speak for us. (correct)
III) I had no choice but accept the proposal. (wrong) I had no choice but to accept the proposal. (correct)
IV) He came for helping me. (wrong) He came to help me. (purpose) (correct)
V) I know to drive a car. (wrong) I know how to drive a car. (correct)
VI) He appeared to read news paper. (wrong) He appeared to be reading news paper. (correct)
VII) He was seen buy the book. (wrong) He was seen to buy the book. (correct)
VIII) He made me to realize my faults. (wrong) He made me realize my faults. (correct)
IX) The teacher taught me to write letters. (wrong) The teacher taught me how to write letters. (correct)
X) I was made realize my faults. (wrong) I was made to realize my faults. (correct)
XI) I would rather die than to surrender. (wrong) I would rather die than surrender. (correct)
XII) My brother went to London to study law. (wrong) My brother went to London for studying law. (reason)
XIII) He has no objection to do this. (wrong) He has no objection to doing this. (here to is not an infinitive, it is preposition)
XIV) We are looking forward to hear him. (wrong) We are looking forward to hearing him. (here to is preposition)
TO + VERB PRESENT FORM = INFINIIVE
To walk is good. It is easy to say but hard to do. To see her is to love her.
In the above sentences to walk, to say, to see and to love are infinitives. Infinitives are not limited by tense, subject and person and number. Hence it is a non finite verb.
Kinds of infinitives:
1) Simple infinitives: simple infinitive is also called noun infinitive. It works as a noun. It is used…..
A) As subject of a verb: To walk in the morning is good. To err is human. To see is to love her.
B) As an object to transitive verbs: He wants to do M.A. I love to dance. He likes to sing.
C) As a Complement of a verb: It seems to be true. His target is to complete the job.
D) As the object to a preposition: The man is about to die.
E) As complement of an Object: He wants me to go there. They told him to start the meeting.
2) Gerundial infinitive: It works as an adjective. It is also called qualifying infinitive as it qualifies other parts of speech. It is used….
A) To qualify verb in sense of purpose or cause: We eat to live. We shouted to see him. They ran to catch the train. She cried to see the sight. The man worked to gain something.
B) To qualify an adjective: It is good to walk in the morning. I am happy to see you here. I am glad to receive your letter. The mother is worried to hear from her son. The teacher is not satisfied to get the answer.
C) To qualify a Noun: I have a car to sell. I have no friend to play with. He has no money to spend. There is place to sit. We have some works to finish. The boy has guardian to look after him.
D) To qualify a sentence: to be honest, to tell the truth, to be frank, to be sure etc.
E) After too construction: The man is too weak to stand. I am too busy to go out now.
F) Passive infinitive: He wanted to be called him hero.
INFINITIVES WITHOUT TO
A) After some verbs like behold, see, make, hear, watch, feel, bid, dare, help, please, need, let, know, etc.
I heard him say this. He saw me buy the book. The clown made us laugh. The auto-driver made him sit for an hour. You need not go there. Mr. Das dare not go out alone at night.
But in passive voice (except let) ‘to’ is used.
Ex: The auto-driver made him sit for an hour. Active
He was made to sit for an hour by the auto-driver. Passive
B) After defective verbs and auxiliaries verbs can, could, may, might, has, have, must, will, should, would etc. Can you (to) play chess? We should (to) obey our elders.
C) After ‘than’, ‘except’, ‘as’, ‘better’, ‘and’ no infinitive is used when receded by ‘do’.
Ex: It is better to work than sleep. It is better to reign in hell than serve in the heaven. He did nothing but (to) laugh. We tried every method except (to) look closely. It is easy to say hard to do. He did not so much as (to) say he was sorry.
SPLIT INFINITIVE
When to + verb present form is separated wrongly. Ex: I request you to kindly grant my appeal. The correct form is I request you to grant my appeal kindly. But today the use of split infinitive is very common. Hence it is correct.
MORE ABOUT INFINITIVES
A) Verb + how, what, when, where, which, why +infinitive.
Verbs used in this way are ask, decide, discover, find, forget, know, learn, remember, see, show, understand etc. ex: He asked me how to open a computer. I do not remember how to write a letter. The man discovered here to live in permanently. Please show me which book to read.
This construction is not used with the verb ‘think’ in the present and past indefinite only. I have thought to pay the electricity bill today. The girl cannot think to when to what profession to choose.
B) Whether + infinitive: I thought for a moment whether to go out or stay home. She is not able to decide whether to live with her husband or leave him.
C) VERB + OBJECT + INFINITIVE: Allow advice, command, compel, encourage, entitle, feel, forbid, force, implore, induce, invite, order, tell, request, show, train, warn, etc. The man ordered him to bring him a chair. We invited all the members to join the opening ceremony. Raja requested my father to give money. Mother told her to sleep.
Assume, believe, consider, feel, know, suppose, think, understand + to be.
I thought him to honest. We believe the story to be true.
NOUN + INFINITIVE CONSTICTION
Ability, ambition, anxiety, attempt, decision, demand, desire, effort, offer, promise, request, willingness, wish, plan + infinitive. Ex: My desire to complete M.A. remained incomplete. Their plan to visit has no guarantee. Her effort to do well in the exam is satisfactory.
PERFECT INFINITIVE: To + have + past participle= perfect infinitive. It is used after was/ were. The job was to have completed. (but but completed). He was to have spoken in the meeting.
Continuous infinitive is used after some verbs like seem, appear, happen, pretend etc. It seems to be going on now. He appears to be moving. He pretends to be writing.
USE OF INFINITIVES TO MAKE SIMPLE SENTENCE OR JOIN TWO SENTENCES.
i) Raja was singing. I heard him. Ans: I heard Raja sing.
ii) We went to Kolkata. We wanted to visit the Victoria Memorial. Ans: We went to Kolkata to visit the Victoria Memorial.
iii) The man is very weak. He cannot walk properly. Ans: The man is too weak to walk properly.
iv) God is very kind. God will not always forgive us. Ans: God is too kind not to forgive us always.
v) We must eat or we cannot live. Ans: we must eat to live.
vi) If you do not study hard, you will fail. Ans: You study hard to avoid failure.
vii) Do or die. Ans: Do to avoid death.
viii) Make haste, or else you will be late. Ans: Make haste not to be late.
ERRORS IN THE USE OF INFINITIVE
I) He bade me to go there. (wrong) He bade me go there. (correct)
II) Let him to speak for us. (wrong) Let him speak for us. (correct)
III) I had no choice but accept the proposal. (wrong) I had no choice but to accept the proposal. (correct)
IV) He came for helping me. (wrong) He came to help me. (purpose) (correct)
V) I know to drive a car. (wrong) I know how to drive a car. (correct)
VI) He appeared to read news paper. (wrong) He appeared to be reading news paper. (correct)
VII) He was seen buy the book. (wrong) He was seen to buy the book. (correct)
VIII) He made me to realize my faults. (wrong) He made me realize my faults. (correct)
IX) The teacher taught me to write letters. (wrong) The teacher taught me how to write letters. (correct)
X) I was made realize my faults. (wrong) I was made to realize my faults. (correct)
XI) I would rather die than to surrender. (wrong) I would rather die than surrender. (correct)
XII) My brother went to London to study law. (wrong) My brother went to London for studying law. (reason)
XIII) He has no objection to do this. (wrong) He has no objection to doing this. (here to is not an infinitive, it is preposition)
XIV) We are looking forward to hear him. (wrong) We are looking forward to hearing him. (here to is preposition)
Sir to tell the truth , u forgot what i said
ReplyDeleteWhat will be the right structure to read it easily
I told the truth that I forgot what I said
Ese hoga kya