III. THE INFINITIVE

Form Active Passive

Indefinite to send to be sent

Continuous to be sending ---------------

Perfect to have sent to have been sent

Perfect Continuous to have been sending ---------------------

Some grammar rules:

The to-infinitive is used:

to express purpose. He went to university to become a lawyer.

after certain verbs (agree, appear, decide, expect, hope, plan, promise, refuse etc).

He refused to pay the bill.

after certain adjectives (happy, glad, sorry etc).

She was happy to win the prize.

after I would like\would prefer to express specific preference.

I’d like to see the manager.

after certain nouns. What a surprise to see him there!

after too\enough constructions.

He’s too young to have his own car.

with: it + be+ adjective (+ of + noun\pronoun).

It was generous of him to offer money.

with: so + adjective + as.

Would you be so kind as to help me move the sofa?

with “only” to express an unsatisfactory result.

She came in only to find Bob had left.

after: be + the first\second etc\next\last\best etc.

He was the last to come to work.

in the expression: for + noun\pronoun + to –inf.

For him to be so rude was unforgivable.

in expressions such as: to tell you the truth, to begin with, to be honest etc.

To be honest, I don’t like him.

The infinitive without to is used:

after: most modal verbs,

after: had better\would rather

after: make\let\see\hear\feel + object. They made him pay for the damage. But: in the passive: be made, be heard, be seen + to –infinitive.

“know” and “help” are followed by a to-infinitive or an infinitive without to.

I have never known him (to) be so mean.

In the passive: be known, be helped + to-infinitive.

She was known to have worked as a teacher.

Some grammar rules

Used to-(+ Infinitive), be used to- get used to (+Gerund)

USED TO expresses past habits, regularly repeated actions in the past or past states.

(Stative verbs are not used with “would”)

WOULD expresses regularly repeated actions and routines in the past. It isn’t used for states.

BE USED TO means “be accustomed to”, “be in the habit of”.

WAS GOING TO expresses actions one intended to do but didn’t do.

For example:

She used to tell me stories. (also would tell me…)

He used to live in the country.(not: would – state)

He used to have a beard. (not:would – state)

The negative form is either:

I didn’t use to or I used not to (rare for some speakers).

Mum would always make me a big breakfast.

(also: Mum used to make…)

She isn’t used to living in tropical climates. (=she isn’t accustomed to living…)

She was going to move to London but then she decided to stay in York.

WAS GOING TO describes events intended to take place, but which didn’t happened.

For example: I was going to phone you, but I forgot.

I was thinking of going to Italy this year, but I haven’t decided.

I was about to do it, but I started doing something else.

Jack was to have taken part, but he fell ill.

About the usage “make” and “do”

DO – shopping, work, homework, housework, cleaning, washing up, gardening, military service, mathematics, something interesting, a boring job….

MAKE – arrangements, an offer, a suggestion, an attempt, an effort, an excuse, a mistake, a noise, a phone call, a date, a profit, a bed, a cake, a speech, trouble…..

To do or to make?

To make a cup of tea, to do one’s best, to do the washing up, to make a mess, to make an offer, to do aerobics, to do a favour, to make plans, to do the waltz, to make a mistake, to do the accounts, to make a date, to do business, to make trouble, to do the ironing, to do a casserole, to make a cabinet, to do exercises, to do cleaning.

DO – shopping, work, homework, housework, cleaning, washing up, gardening, military service, mathematics, something interesting, a boring job….

Remember, please

Only singular

News, advice, information, knowledge, furniture, luggage

Only plural

People, trousers, scissors, clothes, goods, thanks, police..

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