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as the object of the action; second, with finite notional verbs as the subject of the action.
The self-positional infinitive, in due syntactic arrangements, performs the functions of all types of notional
sentence-parts, i.e. the subject, the object, the predicative, the attribute, the adverbial modifier. Cf.:
To meet the head of the administration and not to speak to him about your predicament was unwise, to say
the least of it. (Infinitive subject position). The chief arranged to receive the foreign delegation in the afternoon.
(Infinitive object position). The parents' wish had always been to see their eldest son the continuator of their
joint scientific work. (Infinitive predicative position). Here again we are faced with a plot to overthrow the
legitimately elected government of the republic. (Infinitive attributive position). Helen was far too worried to
listen to the remonstrances. (Infinitive adverbial position).
If the infinitive in free use has its own subject, different from that of the governing construction, it is
introduced by the preposition-particle for. The whole infinitive construction of this type is traditionally called
the "for-to infinitive phrase". Cf.:
For that shy-looking young man to have stated his purpose so boldly - incredible!
The prepositional introduction of the inner subject in the English infinitive phrase is analogous to the
prepositional-casal introduction of the same in the Russian infinitive phrase (i.e. either with the help of the
genitive-governing preposition для, or with the help of the dative case of the noun). Cf.: Для нас очень важно
понять природу подобных соответствий.
With some transitive verbs (of physical perceptions, mental activity, declaration, compulsion, permission,
etc.) the infinitive is used in the semi-predicative constructions of the complex object and complex subject, the
latter being the passive counterparts of the former. Cf.:
We have never heard Charlie play his violin.
>
Charlie has never been heard to play his violin. The
members of the committee expected him to speak against the suggested resolution. > He was expected by the
members of the committee to speak against the suggested resolution.
Due to the intersecting character of joining with the governing predicative construction, the subject of the
infinitive in such complexes, naturally, has no introductory preposition-particle.
The English infinitive exists in two presentation forms. One of them, characteristic of the free uses of the
infinitive, is distinguished by the pre-positional marker to. This form is called traditionally the "to-infinitive",
or in more recent linguistic works, the "marked infinitive". The other form, characteristic of the bound uses of
the infinitive, does not employ the marker to, thereby presenting the infinitive in the shape of the pure verb
stem, which in modern interpretation is understood as the zero-suffixed form. This form is called traditionally
the "bare infinitive", or in more recent linguistic works, respectively, the "unmarked infinitive".
The infinitive marker to is a word-morpheme, i.e. a special formal particle analogous, mutatis mutandis, to
other auxiliary elements in the English grammatical structure. Its only function is to build up and identify the
infinitive form as such. As is the case with the other analytical markers, the particle to can be used in an
isolated position to represent the whole corresponding construction syntag-matically zeroed in the text. Cf:.
You are welcome to acquaint yourself with any of the documents if you want to.
Like other analytical markers, it can also be separated from its notional, i.e. infinitive part by a word or a
phrase, usually of adverbial nature, forming the so-called "split infinitive". Cf:.
My task is not to accuse or acquit; my task it to thoroughly investigate, to clearly define, and to consistently
systematize the facts.
Thus, the marked infinitive presents just another case of an analytical grammatical form. The use or non-use
of the infinitive marker depends on the verbal environment of the infinitive. Namely, the unmarked infinitive is
used, besides the various analytical forms, with modal verbs (except the modals ought and used), with verbs of
physical perceptions, with the verbs let, bid, make, help (with the latter - optionally), with the verb know in the
sense of "experience", with a few verbal phrases of modal nature (had better, would rather, would have, etc.),
with the relative-inducive why. All these uses are detailed in practical grammar books.
The infinitive is a categorially changeable form. It distinguishes the three grammatical categories sharing
them with the finite verb, namely, the aspective category of development (continuous in opposition), the
aspective category of retrospective coordination (perfect in opposition), the category of voice (passive in
opposition). Consequently, the categorial paradigm of the infinitive of the objective verb includes eight forms:
the indefinite active, the continuous active, the perfect active, the perfect continuous active; the indefinite
passive, the continuous passive, the perfect passive, the perfect continuous passive, E.g.: to take-to be taking-to
have taken-to have been taking; to be taken-to be being taken-to have been taken-to have been being taken.
The infinitive paradigm of the non-objective verb, correspondingly, includes four forms. E.g.: to go - to be