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passive voice, the infinitive after them keeps the particle "to": He was made to leave.
She was helped to do it. He was seen to enter that building. He was heard to laugh.
If there are two infinitives next to each other connected by "and, or, but,
except, than", the second infinitive is often used without "to": I told him to sit down
and rest. She didn't know whether to go or stay. There was nothing to do but wait.
There is nothing for him to do but watch TV. It's easier to type than write.
But it is often necessary to repeat "to" before the second infinitive for clarity,
especially in longer infinitive phrases: I told him to sit down on the sofa and to rest a
little. It is easier to type this text than to write it. To buy or not to buy is a hard choice
for her.
The particle "to" is often used without the infinitive at the end of the sentence
if the infinitive is clearly mentioned earlier in the sentence: He asks me to do this
work, but I don't want to. I didn't want to go there, but I had to. He would prefer to
sleep till noon if he were allowed to.
Forms of the infinitive
The infinitive has the following active and passive forms: simple (to write),
continuous (to be writing), perfect (to have written), perfect continuous (to have been
writing), simple passive (to be written), perfect passive (to have been written). The
examples below illustrate the use of the infinitive forms in sentences.
I asked him to write a report.
He is supposed to be writing a report now.
He appears to have written a report already.
He seems to have been writing a report for two hours already.
I expect his report to be written tomorrow.
I expect his report to have been written by now.
Simple active and passive forms are the most common. Compound (analytical)
forms of the infinitive are not used very often in general speech and writing.
All of the infinitive forms are used with modal verbs in order to express certain
meanings of modal verbs. For example:
He can write reports.
He must be writing a report now.
He should have written a report yesterday.
This report might have been written by one of our freelance workers.
Simple and compound infinitive forms, together with the verbs "would, could,
might", are used in the forms expressing unreal condition. For example: If I had
known it, I would have stayed home.
Typical constructions with infinitives
Typical constructions in which the infinitive is used are described below, with
examples of use.
Only the most common verbs after which the infinitive is used are included in
the lists of verbs in this material. Note that the verbs after which the infinitive is used
may be found in more than one construction. For example: I expect to arrive
tomorrow. – I expect her to arrive tomorrow. – She is expected to arrive tomorrow.
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