INFINITIVE

Infinitive

FUNCTION

The most common uses of the infinitive are:

To indicate the purpose or intention of an action (where the 'to' has the same meaning as 'in order to' or 'so as to'):

• She's gone to collect her pay cheque.
• The three bears went into the forest to find firewood.

As the subject of the sentence:

• To be or not to be, that is the question.
• To know her is to love her.
  (Note: this is more common in written English than spoken)

With nouns or pronouns, to indicate what something can be used for, or what is to be done with it:

• Would you like something to drink?
• I haven't anything to wear.
• The children need a garden to play in.

After adjectives in these patterns:

• It is + adjective +to-infinitive
  It is good to talk
• It is + adjective + infinitive + for someone + to-infinitive.
  It is hard for elephants to see mice
• It is + adjective + infintive + of someone + to-infinitive.
  It is unkind of her to say that.

After an adjective + noun when a comment or judgement is being made:

• It was a stupid place to park the car.
• This is the right thing to do.
• It was an astonishing way to behave.

With too and enough in these patterns:

too much/many (+ noun) + to-infinitive

• There's too much sugar to put in this bowl.
• I had too many books to carry.

too + adjective + to-infinitive

• This soup is too hot to eat.
• She was too tired to work.

too + adverb + to-infinitive

• He arrived too late to see the actors.

enough (+ noun) + to-infinitive

• I've had enough (food) to eat.

adjective + enough + to-infinitive

• She's old enough to make up her own mind.
• You are too beautiful for me.
• You are beautiful enough for me.

not enough (+noun) + to-infinitive

• There isn't enough snow to ski on.

not + adjective + enough + to-infinitive

• You're not old enough to have grand-children!
• You are too beautiful for me
• You are beautiful enough for me

The Infinitive without to

after auxiliaries/modals

can	He can run very fast.
could	As a boy he could run very fast.
may	I may fly to Africa this summer.
might	I might fly to Africa this summer.
must	I must go now.
mustn't	You mustn't smoke here.
needn't	You needn't go.
shall	We shall sing a song.
should	We should sing a song.
will	She will cook a meal for his birthday.
would	She would cook a meal for his birthday.

after to do

do	I don't know.

after the following expressions:

had better	You had better clean up your room.
would rather	Susan would rather study for her exam tomorrow.
would sooner	I would sooner read a book than watch this film.
why not	Why not ask your neighbour for help?
why should we	Why should we go by car?
why should we not	Why should we not go by car?

after verbs of perception + object (action has finished):

feel	She feels the rain fall on her face.
hear	I heard Peter sing a song.
notice	Mandy noticed the boy climb the tree.
see	They saw him climb up the roof.
watch	He watched the thieves steal a car.

after let + object:

let	Sandy let her child go out alone.
	Mother let her daughter decide on her own.
let's	Let's go for a walk through the park.

after make + object:

make	She made Peggy and Samantha clean the room.