THE INFINITIVE 19.1. Consider the following: 1. The boy is swimming. 3. I found the boy swimming. 2. The boy wants to swim. 4. Swimming is good for health. In sentence 1, the verb is swimming is limited by the Number and Person of its subject boy. The verb is swimming is in the Present Continuous Tense and the main verb swimming takes the auxiliary is to form the continuous tense. These verbs are called Finite Verbs.Definition : A verb which is limited by the numb it je efian e anh er and person of its subject Insentences 2,3 and 4, the verbs to swim and swimming are not limited by th t e number and person of any subject. They have no tenses and therefore, donot take any auxiliary to form tenses. These verbs are called Non-Finite Verbs. Non-Finites are derived from verbs and have certain features of the verb but they have no subject and, therefore, are not limited by the number and person like a verb that has a subject; they may function as Noun, Adjective or Adverb. : Definition : ANon-Finite Verb is that which is derived from a verb but has no subject, and, therefore, is nat limited by the number and person of any noun or pronoun. The Non-Finite in sentence 2 (to swim) is called an Infinitive, in senvence 3 it (swimming) is a Participle and in sentence 4 (swimming) a Gerund. THE INFINITIVE 49.2. The Infinitive consists of two words, to +verb. Thus an infinitive is formed from a verb. But after certain verbs and expressions, the infinitive is used without to. Such an infinitive without to is called bare infinitive. Definition: An Infinitive is a Non-Finite. Verb which is generally preceded by ‘to’ and is ised like a Noun, Adjective or Adverb. There are two kinds of Infinitives—The Noun Infinitive and the Qualifying Infinitive. USES OF THE INFINITIVE 19.3. The Noun Infinitive is used like Noun: (1) As the Subject of a Verb: To erris human, to forgive is divine. To solve this question is difficult. (2) As the Object of a Verb: He likes to play. Rajesh wanted to do his work: (3) As the Complement of a Verb: He seems to be mad. Children are to go home early. (4) As the Object of a Preposition: He is about to go. She had no choice but ( = except) fo cry. When the Infinitive is used like a Noun, it is called Noun Infinitive or Simple Infinitive. Nouns and Noun Infinitives are compared below: Used as: Noun Noun Infinitive Subject of a verb Raghunath is our friend. To study is our duty. Object of a verb Tlike Raghunath. like to study. : Complement of averb | My friend is Raghunath. _| My habit is to study. Object of a preposition | He knows about Raghunath. | He is about to study, THE QUALIFYING INFINITIVE 19.4, The Qualifying Infinitive may be used:- (1) To qualify a Noun like an Adjective: Give me a chair to Sif. This is a thing to adjnire.(2) To qualify a Verb like an Adverb: Icame to see you. The students are going to play the match. (3) To qualify an Adjective like an Adverb: The book is nice to read. picture is beautiful to /ook at. a sentence: To tell the truth, he cannot be depended upon. He was out of his mind, so fo speak. To be frank, | don't like him. a When the Infinitive is used to qualify a Noun, Verb or Adjective, it is called a Qualifying Infinitive or Gerundial | ; Adjectives or Adverbs and the Qualifying Infinitives are compared below: ~ [Adjective or Adverb | Qualifies This is a good thing. Thisisathingtoeat. _—_—_'| Noun He came quickly. He came to eat. Verb This mango is very good. _| This mango is good to eat. Adjective 19.5. In certain cases ‘to’ is omitted before the Infinitives. The Infinitive without ‘to’ is used: — (1) After certain verbs like—see, hear, feel, know, observe, make, help, need, please, etc.: Please go there. I heard her sing. The police will not let the thief escape. The teacher made the children wait. You need not doit. (2) After auxiliary verbs: The man may go (= The manis allowed to go). He shall work ( = He is compelled to work). | will do it ( = Lam willing to do it). (3) After but and after than in the sense of except: She did nothing but( = except) ery. He is better able to argue than work. (4) After had better, had rather, would rather, sooner than, etc.: She had better ask permission. | would rather starve than work in such a place. 19.6. Read these sentences: Itis difficult to correctly give the answer. The thief tried ro secretly open the chest. In these sentences the infinitives to give and to open have been split of separated by the adverbs correctly and secretly. These are named split infinitives. It would be better to reshape the sentences as under :— Itis diffoult to give the answer correctly. The thief tried fo open the chest secretly. 19.7. The Infinitives can help to combine two sentences into on Two Sentences: He was too tired. He could not work. One Sentence: He was too tired to work. Two Sentences: | heard the news. | was shocked. One Sentence: | was shocked to hear the news. Two Sentences: | speak the truth, | am not afraid of it. One Sentence: | am not afraid to speak the truth.FORMS OF INFINITIVES 49.8. The different forms of the Infinitives are shown below: | Active | Passive | to love to be loved to have been loved ee to have loved Present Continuous _ | to be loving Perfect Continuous _| tohave been loving | Examples: There is a lot to be done. (Present Passive) Tam sorry to have torn the book. (Perfect Active) He is believed to be living in Australia. (Present Continuous) I hope to be earning my living in a year's time. (Present Continuous) He pretended to have been studying. (Perfect Continuous) He seems to have been spying for both sides. (Perfect Continuous) | exercise-1 | Pick out the Infinitive in each of the sentences and tell how it is used: — (1) Ihave come to see you. (2) Please give me some water to drink. (3) We eat to live. (4) To read is a good habit. (5) They all like to play. (6) It is humantoerr. (7) Heisanxioustoleam. (8) Iheardhersing. (9) Itiseasy to advise others. (10) He is willing to help us. (11) To tell the truth; he is a liar. (12) We wish Hari to win. (13) loffered him a chairto sit. (14) Heis too honest to accept a bribe. (15) He appears to be sad. (16) She has no choice but to obey. (17) Give me something to eat. (18) Anu helped me learn English. (19) The train is about to leave. (20) | was told to go. | exercise-2 | Combine the following pairs of sentences by using Infinitives:- (1) They wanted to eam. They worked hard for thatreason, (2) He was sensible. He did the right thing. (3) The students are not able to solve the problem. It is too difficult for them. (4) The lesson is very long. It cannot be finished today. (5) The school appoints Ravi. He would teach Geography. (6) We go to'a cinema hall. We see amovie there. (7) | have no interest in business. | must tell you frankly. (8) These men held a meeting. They wanted to select a manager for this factory. (9) The man took out a knife. He intended to frighten allofus. (10) Pratima collects old stamps. This is her hobby.