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where, what, whom, the choice depending on the lexical meaning of the noun:
Now the question was what to tell him.
The problem was how to begin.
3) The function of the subject may be also performed by the pronoun all or the substantivized superlatives
the most and the least with an attributive clause attached to them:
All he wanted was to be left alone.
The least I can expect is to have this day all to myself.
In such cases the predicative infinitive can lose its marker to:
All I can do is get you out of here.
4) Occasionally the function of the subject can be performed by a gerund or a what-clause:
Living with hemophilia was to live off balance all the time.
“What we want to do,“ said Brady, “is to fight a world.”
The infinitive as simple nominal predicate
§ 105. The infinitive as simple nominal predicate may be used in exclamatory sentences expressing the
speaker’s rejection of the idea that the person to whom the action of the infinitive is ascribed is likely to
perform this action, or belong to such sort of people*, as in:
* For details see Syntax § 41.
You - of all men - to say such a thing!
Me - to be your lover!
As a rule the infinitive in exclamatory sentences is used with the particle to, although it occasionally occurs
without it:
Me - marry him! Never!
The infinitive may be also used as predicate in interrogative infinitive why-sentences, both affirmative and
negative, where it expresses a suggestion:
Why let him sleep so long?
Why not go away?
In such sentences the infinitive is always used without the particle to.
The infinitive as part of a compound verbal predicate
§ 106. The infinitive is used in compound verbal predicates of three types.
I. In a compound verbal modal predicate after the modal verbs can, may, might, ought, must, shall,
should, will, would, need, dare, to be, to have, and expressions with modal meaning had better, would rather.
I can tell you nothing at all about him.
She ought to have told me before.
II. In a compound verbal phasal predicate after verbs denoting various stages of the action, such as its
beginning, continuation, or end. These verbs (to begin, to come, to start, to continue, to go on, to cease, etc.)