The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

The use of the infinitive

The infinitive can be used on its own or with an object or adverbial:

We decided

to leave

.

They told us

to fill in a registration form

.

I'm glad

to have studied at that school

.

The TO-infinitive as subject

The TO-infinitive as a subject complement

The TO-infinitive to replace a relative clause

The TO-infinitive after passive reporting verbs

The infinitive after modals

DO, DOES, DID + bare infinitive

SEE, WATCH, HEAR, LISTEN, FEEL, SMELL, NOTICE, OBSERVE + object + bare infinitive

APPEAR, HAPPEN, PROVE, SEEM, TEND, TURN OUT + TO-infinitive

HAVE, GET, LET, MAKE + object + infinitive

Verb + TO-infinitive

Verb + object + TO-infinitive

Adjective + TO-infinitive

Noun phrase + TO-infinitive

The infinitive of purpose

The infinitive of result

Question word + TO-infinitive

Introductory infinitive clauses

The TO-infinitive as subject

A to-infinitive clause can be the subject of a sentence:

To tell the truth

is always right.

To complain

would seem ungrateful.

But it is more common to start with the introductory it and place the to-infinitive clause at the end of the sentence:

It is

always right

to tell the truth

.

It would seem

ungrateful

to complain

.

Quotes:

To read a book for the first time is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; to read it for a second time is to meet an old one. - Chinese proverb

To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it. - Confucius

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. - George Santayana

To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up. - Oscar Wilde

Related topics:

The gerund as subject

The TO-infinitive as a subject complement

A to-infinitive clause can be a subject complement after be:

My advice is

to file a complaint at once

.

What is essential is

to maintain a healthy diet

.

The decision was

to extend the deadline by three months

.

Quotes:

To read a book for the first time is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; to read it for a second time is to meet an old one. - Chinese proverb

To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it. - Confucius

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. - George Santayana

To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up. - Oscar Wilde

Related topics:

The gerund as a subject complement

The TO-infinitive to replace a relative clause

A to-infinitive clause can replace a defining relative clause after ordinal numbers (the first, the second etc.), after superlatives (the best, the most beautiful etc.) and after next, last and only:

Ethan is usually the last person

to understand the joke

.

(Ethan is usually the last person who understands the joke.)

His office was the next room

to clean

.

(His office was the next room that they had to clean.)

Passive infinitives are also possible:

His was the last composition

to be marked

.

(His was the last composition which was marked.)

Related topics:

Relative clauses

The TO-infinitive after passive reporting verbs

If we want to avoid mentioning the generalised agents we, they, people, everybody, one etc. with reporting verbs, we can use a passive reporting verb and the to-infinitive form of the verb in the reported clause. Depending on the temporal relationship between the action of reporting and the reported event, we use different types of to-infinitive (simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous):

My son's football coach

is said to be

very strict.

(They

say

my son's football coach

is

very strict.)

Vincent

was reported to be staying

in Paris at that time.

(They

reported

Vincent

was staying

in Paris at that time.

He

is believed never to have smiled

at anyone.

(They

believe

he

never smiled / has never smiled

at anyone.)

The organisers

were thought to have been preparing

for days.

(Everybody

thought

the organisers

had been preparing

for days.)

This topic is discussed in detail under Passive voice and causative structures » Passive voice » Passive voice with reporting verbs.

The infinitive after modals

The infinitive is used after modal verbs, semi-modal verbs (also called marginal modals) and other modal expressions.

Modal verbs

Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, will, shall, would, should and must) are followed by a bare infinitive:

I

could hear

the dog barking outside.

You

must be joking

.

He

may have caught

the train.

Y

ou

should have told

me earlier.

Semi-modal verbs (marginal modals)

Used is followed by a to-infinitive:

They

used to live

by the sea.

Ought is followed by a to-infinitive:

You

ought to know

that by now.

They

ought to have insisted

on some compensation.

When used as modal verbs, dare and need are followed by a bare infinitive:

Need

you

make

so much noise?

You

needn't have been

so rude.

How

dare

she

criticise

us?

When used as a main verb, need is followed by a to-infinitive:

Do you

need to use

the hairdryer?

Dare as a main verb can take a bare infinitive or a to-infinitive:

He didn't

dare (to) look

back.

But in the expression Don't you dare..., it always takes a bare infinitive:

Don't you

dare interrupt

me!

Other modal expressions

Other modal expressions are usually followed by a to-infinitive, with the exception of had better and would rather, which are followed by a bare infinitive:

Although the current was strong, I

was able to swim

to the other bank.

Will journalists

be allowed to ask

questions?

Hurry up! The ceremony

is about to begin

!

Kevin is stuck in a traffic jam, so he

is bound to be

late.

Negotiations

were due to take

place later that week.

Smokers

are

more

likely to develop

lung cancer compared to non-smokers.

You

are

not

to do

that again.

We

had better leave

soon.

I

'd rather go

by bike than walk.

Related topics:

Types of modals

DO, DOES, DID + bare infinitive

The auxiliary verbs do, does and did are followed by the bare infinitive to form negative and interrogative sentences in the past simple and present simple tenses:

Do

you

take

any vitamins?

He

doesn't live

here any more.

Did

you

ask

the shop assistant?

Do, does and did can also be used in affirmative sentences to express emphasis:

I

do know

what you mean.

He

does travel

a lot.

I

did want

to write, but I forgot.

Quotes:

Flowers really do intoxicate me. - Vita Sackville-West

Related topics:

The auxiliary DID for emphasis

The auxiliaries DO and DOES for emphasis

SEE, WATCH, HEAR, LISTEN, FEEL, SMELL, NOTICE, OBSERVE + object + bare infinitive

After verbs of perception (see, watch, hear, listen, feel, smell, notice, observe etc.), the infinitive expresses a completed action:

I felt the ground

shake

once.

(I felt it as the ground shook once.)

I saw the burglar

climb

over the fence and

break into

the house.

(I saw that the burglar climbed over the fence and broke into the house.)

I have never heard them

play

that song before.

(I have never heard that song played by them before.)

In the passive voice, we use a to-infinitive:

The burglar was seen

to climb

over the fence.

A present participle after these verbs refers to an action continuing over a period of time:

I felt the ground

shaking

for about half a minute.

(I felt that the ground was shaking.)

Quotes:

Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why. - Bernard Baruch

Related topics:

SEE, WATCH, HEAR, LISTEN, FEEL, SMELL, NOTICE, OBSERVE + object + present participle

APPEAR, HAPPEN, PROVE, SEEM, TEND, TURN OUT + TO-infinitive

These verbs are followed by a to-infinitive:

I appear

to have lost

my keys.

I happened

to be passing

your house, and I saw that the door was open.

Our predictions proved

to be

accurate.

She seems

to understand

most of what we say.

The library tends

to be crowded

during the exam period.

The concert turned out

to be

much better than we had expected.

HAVE, GET, LET, MAKE + object + infinitive

Have, let and make are followed by an object + bare infinitive:

I'

ll have her copy

the document right away.

(I'll ask/tell her to copy the document right away.)

In the end, the terrorists

let the hostages go

.

(The terrorists allowed the hostages to go.)

The teacher

made Jack rewrite

the composition.

(The teacher forced Jack to rewrite the composition.)

Get is followed by a to-infinitive:

Finally, we

got a mechanic to repair

the elevator.

In the passive, make takes a to-infinitive:

Jack

was made to rewrite

the composition.

But let takes a bare infinitive:

In the end, the hostages

were let go

.

Quotes:

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food. - Hippocrates

Children make you want to start life over. - Muhammad Ali

Related topics:

HAVE + object + bare infinitive

MAKE + object + bare infinitive

GET + object + TO-infinitive

Verb + TO-infinitive

Examples of verbs followed by the to-infinitive:

afford, agree, aim, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, be, be dying, beg, begin, can't bear, can't stand, can't wait, care, cease, choose, claim, come, continue, dare, decide, demand, deserve, dread, expect, fail, forget, grow, guarantee, happen, hate, have, hesitate, hope, intend, learn, like, long, love, manage, need, neglect, offer, omit, plan, prefer, prepare, pretend, promise, propose, refuse, regret, remember, seek, seem, start, swear, tend, threaten, train, try, turn, out, used, vow, wait, want, wish, would like, yearn

I can't

afford to own

a car.

We all

agreed to cancel

next week's meeting.

He will

attempt to break

the national record for the 1,500 metres.

Why did you

choose to study

arts?

In a recent poll, 31% of the female workers

claimed to have been harassed

at work.

She

decided to set

out at once.

I

demand to know

the truth.

Tony

has failed to show up

at work on time again.

I

hope to see

you soon.

We

managed to cross

the valley.

Ben

offered to take

me home.

Preparing to die

is present in most spiritual paths and traditions.

He

promised to change

his behaviour, but I knew he wouldn't.

Jack

refused to fight

in such an immoral war.

The owner

threatened to sue

us for trespassing.

I can't

wait to be

with you again.

Quotes:

Live as you will wish to have lived when you are dying. - Christian Furchtegott Gellert

Children make you want to start life over. - Muhammad Ali

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. - Nelson Henderson

Every English poet should master the rules of grammar before he attempts to bend or break them. - Robert Graves

Those who wish to sing always find a song. - Swedish proverb

Related topics:

Reporting verb + TO-infinitive

Verb + gerund

Verbs followed by the TO-infinitive or gerund

Verb + object + TO-infinitive

Examples of verbs followed by an object and the to-infinitive:

advise, allow, ask, beg, cause, choose, command, convince, enable, encourage, expect, force, hire, instruct, invite, need, order, permit, persuade, prepare, promise, remind, require, tell, threaten, urge, want, warn, wish, would like

My GP

advised me to see

a specialist.

Could you

ask her to copy

this letter for me?

She

begged him not to leave

her.

The colonel

commanded his men to charge

.

How can we

encourage a baby to use

the toilet rather than his potty?

Do you

expect me to believe

you?

The teacher

instructed the students to line up

in pairs.

I

've invited Jill to come

to dinner on Saturday.

After days of pointless fighting, the general

ordered the marines to withdraw

.

I tried to

persuade them to stay

, but they said they were too tired.

I

reminded Andy to bring

a bottle of wine and some snacks.

The doctor

told me to give up

smoking.

The opposition

urged the government to take

action immediately.

The professor

warned us to be

diligent with our weekly assignments.

Verbs followed by an object and a to-infinitive can also be passive:

The students

were instructed to line up

in pairs.

After days of pointless fighting, the marines

were ordered to withdraw

.

I

was told to give up

smoking.

Related topics:

Reporting verb + object + TO-infinitive

Adjective + TO-infinitive

There are various structures with adjectives and the to-infinitive:

IT + linking verb + adjective + TO-infinitive

It was

difficult to answer

the question.

It would seem

awkward to call

her again.

Noun + linking verb + adjective + TO-infinitive

Here the noun is the object of the infinitive:

The question was

difficult to answer

.

A good translator is

hard to find

.

IT + linking verb + adjective + noun + TO-infinitive

It was

a difficult question to answer

.

It's

a big house to clean

.

IT + linking verb + adjective + FOR something/somebody + TO-infinitive

It looked

impossible for me to finish

on time.

It is

necessary for this door to be locked

.

IT + linking verb + adjective + OF somebody + TO-infinitive

It is

very kind of you to come

with me to the embassy.

It was

stupid of him to press

the emergency button.

TOO, ENOUGH + TO-infinitive

Too comes before an adjective or adverb. Enough follows an adjective or adverb but comes before a noun:

It was

too difficult (for me) to answer

the question.

The question was

too difficult to answer

.

It was

too difficult a question to answer

.

It was

a difficult enough question to answer

even for a native speaker.

Manuela got to the station

too late to catch

the train.

Manuela did not get to the station

early enough to catch

the train.

I didn't have

enough money to buy

that beautiful sweater.

Noun + linking verb + adjective + TO-infinitive

Here the noun is the doer of the action expressed by the infinitive:

The little boy was

afraid to jump

.

He was

ashamed to speak

to her again.

We were

happy to see

you.

I am

glad to have helped

you.

Our company is

pleased to offer

you a job as a financial risk manager.

I am

proud to announce

this year's winner.

Aren't you

sad to hear

that?

I'm

sorry to disturb

you.

Examples of adjectives that can be used with this pattern:

afraid, amazed, anxious, ashamed, bound, careful, certain, content, delighted, determined, eager, eligible, fortunate, glad, happy, hesitant, liable, likely, lucky, pleased, proud, ready, reluctant, sad, shocked, sorry, surprised

Quotes:

It is easy to be brave from a safe distance. - Aesop

If one cannot invent a really convincing lie, it is often better to stick to the truth. - Angela Thirkell

The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do. - Author unknown

It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens. - Cynthia E. Varnado

No city should be too large for a man to walk out of in a morning. - Cyril Connolly

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. - Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

It is never too late to be who you might have been. - George Eliot

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. - Henry David Thoreau

To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up. - Oscar Wilde

You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself. - Samuel Levenson

It is terrible to speak well and be wrong. - Sophocles

Noun phrase + TO-infinitive

There are various structures with noun phrases and the to-infinitive:

Noun phrase + TO-infinitive

Some nouns can be followed by a to-infinitive. Many of these nouns have been formed from adjectives or verbs normally followed by a to-infinitive:

The

ability to cooperate

with others is as important as managing on our own.

Our

decision to close

the firm was a difficult one to make.

We were surprised at his

offer to take

us home.

As a result of his

failure to pay the mortgage

, his house was foreclosed.

She showed no

willingness to help

.

Examples of nouns followed by the to-infinitive:

ability, advice, agreement, ambition, anxiety, appeal, arrangement, attempt, chance, choice, decision, demand, desire, determination, dream, eagerness, failure, goal, intention, motivation, need, offer, opportunity, order, permission, plan, preparation, promise, proposal, recommendation, refusal, reluctance, reminder, request, requirement, suggestion, tendency, way, willingness, wish

IT + linking verb + noun phrase (+ FOR + somebody) + TO-infinitive

It's

a pity (for them) to lose

such a good player.

It's

a privilege (for me) to be invited

to this conference.

It would be

a mistake (for you) to hire

him.

It's

a pleasure (for us) to have

you here.

Noun phrase + TO-infinitive to express necessity or possibility

There is a lot of

work to do

around the farm.

(There is a lot of work that we need to do around the farm.)

I have some

e-mails to write

.

(I have some e-mails that I have to write.)

She had two more

clients to call

that afternoon.

(She had two more clients that she had to call that afternoon.)

Let's get

something to eat

.

(Let's get something that we can eat.)

Quotes:

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn. - David Russell

Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. - Plato

Each day is an opportunity to travel back into tomorrow's past and change it. - Robert Brault

The infinitive of purpose

A to-infinitive can be used to express purpose:

I'm calling

to place

an order for delivery.

Diya went to the door

to open

it.

To pass

this test, you need to achieve a score of 60% or more.

In order and so as can be used before a to-infinitive for emphasis in more formal styles:

He took a book with him

in order to have

something to read on the train.

The parties started negotiations

so as to reach

an agreement as soon as possible.

In order to attract

a wider audience, we need to rethink our marketing strategy.

The negative is always in order not + to-infinitive or so as not + to-infinitive:

He tiptoed through the hall

so as not to be heard

.

In order not to lose

time, we must act at once.

The infinitive of purpose can only be used if the doer of the action expressed by the infinitive is the same as the subject of the main clause. If the subjects are different, we can use so + that-clause with the present simple tense or with the modal verbs may, can, will, might, could or would:

Jerry works hard

so that

his family has everything they need.

I'll leave the door open

so that

you can come in.

Tina gave me a shopping list

so that

I wouldn't forget anything.

In order + that-clause is also possible in this case; however, it is more formal and less common. In the that-clause, we can use the modal verbs may, shall, might or should:

Our company does everything

in order that

all complaints may be dealt with fairly and effectively.

With come and go, we can use the infinitive of purpose with the verb in any present or past tense or with the gerund form of the verb:

I

'm

just

coming to help

.

We

went to talk

to a lawyer.

Have you thought of

going to see

a doctor?

But if come and go are used as infinitives or as imperatives, we use and instead of to:

I

must go and check

the heater.

He

will come and dance

with you.

Go and fetch

a glass.

Quotes:

Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. - Albert Einstein

To avoid mistakes and regrets, always consult your wife before engaging in a flirtation. - E. W. Howe

Gossip needn't be false to be evil - there's a lot of truth that shouldn't be passed around. - Frank A. Clark

We should read to give our souls a chance to luxuriate. - Henry Miller

What you have become is the price you paid to get what you used to want. - Mignon McLaughlin

You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself. - Samuel Levenson

To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart. - Thomas Watson, Sr.

Related topics:

The "subject" of the infinitive

The infinitive of result

A to-infinitive can be used to express result, however, this use is more common in literary styles:

Do you want to

live to be

a hundred?

She

arrived home to receive

a letter from her bank.

Only + to-infinitive can express a disappointing result of an action:

I went back to the shop

only to find

that it had closed for good.

He got his car fixed

only to damage

it again.

Question word + TO-infinitive

A question word can be used before a to-infinitive to express an indirect question about what should be done:

We don't know

where to put

the sofa.

(where we should put the sofa)

No one could tell me

how to start

the engine.

(how I should start the engine)

The rules didn't specify

who to speak to

in case of an emergency.

(who you should speak to)

I had no idea

what to write

my home paper

about

.

(what I should write my home paper about)

Why cannot be used in this way.

If the original question was a yes/no question, we use whether (but not if):

I didn't know

whether to laugh or cry

.

(whether I should laugh or cry)

He couldn't decide

whether to accept the job or not

.

(whether he should accept the job or not)

Quotes:

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn. - David Russell

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. - Pablo Picasso

Related topics:

Reporting questions

Introductory infinitive clauses

An infinitive clause placed at the beginning of a sentence can express a comment on the speaker's own words:

To be perfectly honest

, I've never really liked him.

To tell you the truth

, I'm quite exhausted.

To make a long story short

, we ended up sleeping on a park bench.