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the predicate verb it modifies. The only possible form of the infinitive is the non-perfect, common aspect,
active voice form.
7. The infinitive used as an adverbial modifier of exception denotes the action which is the only possible
one in the situation. The infinitive is generally used without to and is introduced by the prepositions but and
except. It is found in negative and interrogative sentences:
I had nothing to do but wait.
What could I do but submit?
There is nothing to do except turn back.
8. The infinitive used as an adverbial modifier of time denotes an action which marks out the moment of
time up to which or at which the action of the predicate is performed. Very often it has a secondary meaning of
condition.
His father lived to be ninety. (lived till he was ...)
I may not live to reach the airstrip this afternoon. (may not live till I reach ...)
Go away! I shudder to see you here. (I shudder when I see ..., if I see ...)
The position of the infinitive is fixed, it always follows the predicate it modifies. Its form is non-perfect,
common aspect, active.
9. The infinitive used as an adverbial modifier of cause or motivation refers to a compound nominal
predicate with the predicative expressed by an adjective, a noun, or a prepositional phrase denoting someone's
qualities (intellectual qualities, morals, etc.)
The infinitive denotes an action which serves as a cause or a motivation on which this or that charaterisation
is based.
What an idiot I was not to have thought of it before! (I had not thought of it before, therefore I can justly
be called an idiot.)
She was silly to come here. (She came here, and it was silly of her.)
They’re out of their mind to have sent you here! (They have sent you here, so one can think them out of
their minds.)
The infinitive in this function follows the predicate. All the forms of the infinitive are possible.
The infinitive as parenthesis
§ 112. The infinitive used as parenthesis is usually part of a collocation, as in: to begin with, to be (quite)
frank, to be sure, to make matters worse, to put it mildly, to say the least, to tell the truth, needless to say,
strange to say, so to speak, to make a long story short, to crown all, to be more precise, to say nothing of ...,
etc.
To begin with, you have been lying to me all the time.
To be quite frank, I don’t like him at all.
He was, strange to say, just an ordinary little chap.
Predicative constructions with the infinitive
§ 113. The infinitive is used in predicative constructions of three types: the objective with the infinitive
construction, and the so-called for-to-infinitive construction*. Traditionally they are called the complex
subject, the complex object, and the for-to-infinitive complex.
* It is possible, however, to distinguish one more infinitive construction generally called the subjective infinitive construction or
the nominative infinitive construction. (See § 123 on the Subjective predicative construction).