The Attribute

the first the last the second

to do smth

E.g. Who was the last to speak to him?

Somebody nobody anything someone

to do smth

E.g. I have nothing to tell you.

There was nobody there to show him how to do it.

man place time thing

to do smth

E.g. It is not the right time to discuss this subject.

The passive infinitive is seldom used in the attributive function; the correct way is to say “it is a book to read” and not “to be read”.

Exceptions: there is nothing to be done and nothing to do; there is something to be seen, to be said and something to see, to say.

The attributive passive infinitive may have a future meaning: The houses to be built there will be of the same type.

The Adverbial Modifier of Purpose

To do smth

(in order / so as)

to get smth to be given smth

E.g. I have come here to speak to you.

She pretended to be quite well so as not to be taken to the doctor.

The Adverbial Modifier of Result.

(too)

young old easy difficult

(enough)

to do smth to be done to have done to have been done

E.g. You are too young to wear black.

That girl is stupid enough to have believed every word he says.

The Secondary Predicative

Smb. Smth.

is was

nice hard difficult pleasant impossible

to do (at, with)

E.g. She is nice to work with.

2. The verbal characteristics of the infinitive are as follows:

   1. the infinitive of transitive verbs can take a direct object (e.g. He began to feel some curiosity);

   2. the infinitive can be modified by an adverb (e.g. I can’t write so quickly);

   3. the infinitive has tense and aspect distinctions; the infinitive of transitive verbs has also voice distinctions.

The infinitive has six forms:

Indefinite	Passive	Continuous
To write	To be written	To be writing
Perfect	Perfect Passive	Perfect Continuous
To have written	To have been written	To have been writing

Verbs which are not used in the passive voice have only four forms of the infinitive:

Indefinite	Continuous
To stand	To be standing
Perfect	Perfect Continuous
To have stood	To have been standing

To form the negative, we simply put not immediately before the infinitive:

She warned me not to be late.

The indefinite infinitive indicates that the action expressed by the infinitive is simultaneous with the action of the finite form of the verb in the sentence:

I know him to be a very good teacher.

When associated with modal verbs and their equivalents, the indefinite infinitive may also refer to a future action:

It may rain tomorrow.

The continuous infinitive lays the emphasis on the duration of the action that is simultaneous with the action of the finite form of the verb in the sentence:

I was pleased to be driving the car again.

The perfect infinitive shows that the action expressed by the infinitive precedes the action indicated by the finite form of the verb:

I am glad to have taken your advice.

The perfect continuous infinitive denotes an action in progress which lasted for some time before the action (or state) expressed by the finite verb:

I am pleased to have been doing this kind of work all the time.

After the past tense of verbs expressing hope, expectation, intention the perfect infinitive is used to indicate that the action was not carried out:

I meant to have called you but I didn’t have time.

The Active and Passive forms of the infinitive show whether the subject of the sentence acts or is acted upon.