Дипломная работа: Syntax and semantics of verbals in English
Чтобы не встревожить сестру, он ничего не сказал ей об этом.
(c) in predicative constructions.
My mistress being dead..., I had to look out for a new place.
(Ch. Bronte)
Так как моя хозяйка умерла, мне пришлось искать другое место.
There is no mistake about his being a genius. (Shaw)
Не может быть никакого сомнения в том, что он — гений.
She heard him unbar the door and go out into the yard. (Hardy)
Она слышала, как он отодвинул засов и вышел во двор.
2.1.2 The Infinitive
The infinitive representing an action in its most general form is often treated as an initial form of the verb[5] , but from the point of view of some linguists[6] the infinitive developed from the "Verbal noun,' which in course of time became verbalized, retaining at the same time some of its nominal properties. Thus in Modern English the infinitive, like the participle and the gerund, has a double nature, nominal and verbal.
1. The nominal character of the infinitive is manifested in its syntactic functions. The infinitive can be used:
(a) as the subject of a sentence.
To go on like this was dangerous. (Galsworthy)
(b) as a predicative.
Her plan was now to drive to Bath during the night. (Hardy)
(c) as an object.
I have never learnt to read or write. (Collins)
2. The verbal characteristics of the infinitive are as follows:
(a) the infinitive of transitive verbs can take a direct object.
He ... began to feel some curiosity ... (Eliot)
(b) the infinitive can be modified by an adverb.
I cannot write so quickly.
(c) the infinitive has tense and aspect distinctions; the infinitive of transitive verbs has also voice distinctions.
In Modern English the infinitive has the following forms:
| Active | Passive | |
| Indefinite | to write | to be written |
| Continuous | to be writing | to be being written[7] |
| Perfect | to have written | to have been written |
| Perfect Continuous | to have been writing | to have been being written[8] |
The tense and aspect distinctions of the infinitive.
Like the tense distinctions of all verbals those of the infinitive are not absolute but relative.
1. The Indefinite Infinitive expresses an action simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb, so it may refer to the present, past or future.
I am glad to meet you. (Dreiser)
I was glad to see Mr. Paul. (Ch. Bronte)