The infinitive in English is one of the most important verb forms that can perform many different functions. In Russian there is only one form for the infinitive, while in English there are six of them: four in the active voice and two in the passive voice. Beginners, as a rule, cost the simplest of them, while professionals and simply advanced students are happy to master the more complex ones, using them in sentences with a more intricate meaning.
In this article, starting from simple and ending with the most difficult, we will consider all six infinitives in the English language, the functions and structure of their use.
General definition of infinitive
The infinitive in English corresponds to the indefinite form of the verb in Russian. It denotes an action without giving a number or a person, and answers the questions "What to do?" and / or "What to do?" The infinitive is also called the initial or dictionary form of the verb, because if you look up the meaning or translation of a word in the dictionary, it will be given exactly this form.
A distinctive feature of all verbs in indefinite form is the particle to.
- I like to read. - I love to read.
- We want to help. “ We want to help.”
The use of the infinitive in English without this particle is possible, but in very rare cases. For example, after some modal verbs, or if the infinitive serves as a complex complement.
- You must do your homework! - You have to do your homework!
- I saw him open the window. “ I saw him open the window.”
As the examples show, in the translation into Russian the presence or absence of the particle to does not play a role.
Simple infinitive in active voice
It is used when it is necessary to show that an object performs an action simultaneously with how this action is reported, or will perform it later. To form a simple infinitive in the active voice, just add the to particle to the verb. Using an example in sentences, this indefinite form is as follows:
- They want to invite us to John's birthday party, but we won't be able to come. “ They want to invite us to John's birthday party, but we won't have the opportunity to come.”
- I wish to travel to California, because it is warm and beautiful there. - I dream to go on a trip to California, because it is warm and beautiful there.
In both cases, the actions described using the infinitive will occur after they are reported: they have not invited anyone to the birthday party, but only want to. And nobody travels to California yet, but only dreams.
Simple passive infinitive
The temporal relations in this case are the same, only the action is performed not by the object itself, but above it. In order to form this infinitive, it is necessary to add the past participle of the desired verb to to be. For instance:
- I want this project to be finished. - I want to finish this project.
- We all like to be told compliments and given presents. “ We all love when they tell us compliments and give presents.”
In both cases, the subject does not perform the action expressed by the infinitive: the project does not end, the compliments do not speak, and the gifts do not give themselves. Therefore, the pledge is called passive or passive.
Continuous Active Infinitive
The rule of infinitives in English states that a continuous infinitive is used almost on the same principle as a simple one, with the only difference being that it requires an indication of duration. It expresses actions that began earlier, but have not yet ended, or those that begin and will continue for some time to come.
In order to form a continuous infinitive in the active voice, you need to add to to the desired verb with the ending -ing. For instance:
- She have to be working now, but she will finish her work soon. - Now she most likely has to work, but she will finish her work soon.
- My best wish is to be sleeping for more then six hours per day, but I'm too busy and have no time to rest for so much time. “ My deepest desire is to sleep for more than six hours a day, but I'm too busy and I have no time to rest for so long.”
In the first case, the action takes place simultaneously with how it is reported: it works while someone talks about it. In the second case, the action may happen in the future.
The perfect infinitive in active voice
This grammatical construction is used when it is necessary to say about an action that was completed before it was reported. To form it, they use to have, adding to it the past participle of the desired verb. For example, it looks like this:
I wish to have read this book till the end by now, but I haven't finished it yet. - I would like to read this book to the end by this time, but have not finished it yet.
The action "read this book" refers to the past - the speaker wants the book to be read before he speaks about it.
The perfect passive infinitive
To form this form, you must use to have been, adding to it the desired verb in the form of the past participle. Like the previous one, it refers to the past tense, but implies that the action was performed not by the object itself, but above it:
I hope the room to have been clearned up! “ I hope the room is clean!”
The room mentioned in this proposal should be cleaned before the author of the statement informs about it, and not in the future or at the moment. And she does not clean herself - the action is performed on the subject.
The perfect long-lasting infinitive in active voice
This variant of the infinitive in the English language is used much less often than others because of some of its bulkiness and the abundance of auxiliary verbs. To form it, it is necessary to add the present participle of the desired verb to the to have been construction.
The perfect continuous infinitive is used to describe an action that has already completed and continued for some time:
I know him to have been working as the headmaster of the school for five years until he was fired. - I know that he worked as a school principal for five years before he was fired.
In this proposal, there is an indication of the duration (for five years) and the elapsed time (before he was dismissed).
To summarize
There are many ways to master this topic. Infinitive exercises in English are far from the only way. You can search and write out examples of using the indefinite form of a verb from fiction, independently make sentences, translate from English into Russian and vice versa.
For those who are preparing to pass the exam, it will be very useful to know all six of the described options for the infinitive in English. For those who are trying to master it at an intermediate level, for example, to travel on a vacation abroad, it will be enough to master at least the first three of them, because the functions of the infinitive in English are difficult, and sometimes impossible to replace with other grammatical constructions.