Infinitives
The infinitive is usually preceded by its sign, to, but after some verbs (do, shall, will, may, can, dare, help, need, see, hear, feel, let, make, bid) and after the expressions had better, had rather, it is usually the pure or root infinitive without to.
There are six forms of the infinitive:
| Simple | Progressive | Passive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pres. | to take | to be taking | to be taken |
| Perf. | to have taken | to have been taking | to have been taken |
The infinitive has various uses:
| Subject: | To command is his ambition. |
| Predicated noun: | To know is to act. |
| Object of verb: | I prefer to travel slowly. |
| After nouns: | We have work to do. |
| After verbs: | He failed to pass his examinations. |
| He seemed to be in trouble. | |
| Children had better be silent. | |
| After verbs (with noun or pronoun subject): | Our neighbors helped us move. |
| After adjectives: | They are glad to hear the news. |
| He is so foolish as to believe the tale. |