English Grammar for University Students. Part 4

4. The Perfect Continuous Infinitive denotes an action in progress or happening over a period of time which is prior to that of the finite verb. The Perfect Continuous Infinitive is both a temporal and aspect form,because it expresses how an action, denoted by the Infinitive, extends over time.

I’m glad to have been living in Barcelona for the last ten years.

But for the fog the travellers would have been wandering in the forest for a long time.

The Infinitive of transitive verbs possesses voice distinctions and has the forms of the Active and Passive Voice.

Please remember to bring a mat and a towel with you to the next aerobics class (Indefinite Active).

He happened to be brought up in a very rich family (Indefinite Passive). President Trump is very proud to have brought the subject of illegal immigration back into the discussion (Perfect Active).

Tomatoes are known to have been brought to Europe in the XVI^th century (Perfect Passive).

The active form of the Infinitive shows that the subject of the sentence, the person or thing characterised by the Infinitive, or the person or thing expressed in the Infinitive predicative construction is the doer of the action denoted by the Infinitive.

The passive form of the Infinitive shows that the subject of the sentence, the person or thing characterized by the Infinitive, or the person or thing expressed in the Infinitive predicative construction is affected by the action denoted by the Infinitive [Шрамко, Степанова, Кожемяка, 2008].

The use of the infinitive without the particle to (the bare infinitive)

The Infinitive is used without the particle to in the following cases:

1. After auxiliary verbs.

Do you like music?

Seldom do we witness such catastrophes.

Does anyone know where I left my diary?

2. After modal verbs (except ought to) and modal expressions had better, would rather, would sooner.

You must use some verbs more than once.

We’d better not borrow Diane’s books without asking her.

She’d sooner die than give up.

3. After verbs of sense perception (see, notice, watch, observe, hear, feel, smell, etc.) as a part of the Objective Infinitive Construction.

I watched .

We noticed away from the building.

Note, that in passive sentences with these verbs a to-Infinitive is used.

He was watched to arrive.

He was noticed to run away from the house.

4. After verbs of inducement (let, make, have) as a part of the Objective Infinitive Construction.

I made wait outside.

John lets on the sofa.

But! Peter was made to wait outside.

5. After phrases with but (cannot but, anything but, nothing but).

I could not but congratulate him.

She can do everything but cook.

6. In why-sentences, both affirmative and negative, where it expresses a suggestion.

Why not take advantage of the situation?

Why go there so late?

Why make so much noise?

7. In cases when two Infinitives are joined by ‘and’ or ‘or’, bare Infinitive can be used.

I want to go out and have fun and relax.

Syntactical functions of the infinitive

The Infinitive may be used in a number of syntactical functions in which it may stand alone, form an Infinitive phrase or a predicative construction.

1. Subject

Non-perfect active forms are more widely used in this function.

To speak foreign languages well is an advantage.

To have got the job in the face of such stiff competition was a great achievement.

The subject expressed by the Infinitive may be introduced by the so-called introductory it, which stands at the beginning of the sentence.

It is sometimes difficult to accept the truth.

It may be advisable to consult a specialist.