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followed by a “to”-infinitive form a compound verbal phasal predicate.
Now I begin to understand you.
Then she came to realize what it all meant.
They continued to whisper.
The verbs to begin, to continue and to start can also be followed by a gerund, although with a certain
difference in meaning. Thus the verb to stop followed by a gerund means to put an end to an action, to
interrupt, whereas followed by an infinitive means to pause in order to do something. So the infinitive after the
verb to stop is used in the function of an adverbial modifier of purpose.
He stopped to see what it was.
Он остановился, чтобы посмотреть, что это такое.
He stopped seeing her.
Он перестал с ней встречаться.
III. The compound verbal predicate of double orientation* has no analogy in Russian. The three subtypes
of this predicate can be distinguished according to the expression of the first part:
* For details see Syntax § 53.
1. The first part is expressed by one of the following intransitive verbs in the active voice: to seem
-
казаться; to appear - оказаться, казаться; to prove, to turn out - оказаться; to happen, to chance - случаться.
After the verbs to prove and to turn out the infinitive is mostly nominal, that is presented by to be + noun or
adjective. After the verbs to seem, to appear, to happen all types and forms of the infinitive are possible.
Simple sentences with this type of predicate are synonymous with complex sentences of a certain pattern:
He seems to be smiling.
She appeared to have said all.
It seems that he is smiling.
It appeared that she had said all.
Sentences with compound verbal predicates of double orientation are translated into Russian in different
ways depending on the meaning of the first verbal element:
The strange little man seemed to read my thoughts.
The man seemed to have come from far off.
Nothing appeared to be happening there.
Не appeared to have been running all the way.
Не proved to be a healthy child.
The night turned out to be cold.
Don’t you happen to know her?
Странный человечек, казалось, читал мои мысли.
Казалось, этот человек приехал откуда-то
издалека.
Казалось, что здесь ничего не происходит.
Казалось, что он пробежал всю дорогу бегом.
Он оказался здоровым ребенком.
Ночь оказалась холодной.
Ты ее случайно не знаешь?
2. The first part of the predicate is expressed by the passive voice forms of certain transitive verbs. They are:
a) verbs of saying: to announce, to declare, to report, to say, to state, etc.
She was announced to be the winner.
Не is said to have returned at last.
Было объявлено, что победила она.
Говорят, что он наконец вернулся.
b) verbs of mental activity: to believe, to consider, to expect, to find, to known, to mean, to presume,
to regard, to suppose, to think, to understand, etc.
He’s supposed to be leaving tonight.
She is believed to be a clever girl.
Her father was thought to have died long ago.
Предполагают (предполагается), что он уезжает
сегодня вечером.
Ее считают умной девушкой. (Считается, что она
умная девушка.)
Считалось (считали, думали, полагали), что ее
отец давным-давно умер.