GUIDE ENGLISH GRAMMAR BOOK

14 THE INFINITIVE
120 Verb + to-infinitive
1 We can use a to-infinitive after some verbs.
I plan to visit India next year.
People are refusing to pay the new tax.
We hope to be moving into our new flat soon.
We expect to have completed the work by the summer.
For a list of these verbs and of verbs taking a gerund, • 121.
NOTE
The to-infinitive clause is the object of the main verb. Compare these sentences.
I wanted to play.
I wanted a game.
But some verbs take a preposition before a noun.
We decided to play tennis.
We decided on a game of tennis.
2 We can use seem, appear, happen, tend, come, grow, turn out and prove with a
to-infinitive.
The plane seemed to be losing height. (It was apparently losing height.)
We happened to meet in the street. (We met by chance in the street.)
The debate turned out to be very interesting.
Here the to-infinitive clause is not the object, because seem, appear etc are not
transitive verbs. They say something about the truth of the statement, or the
manner or time of the action. With some of these verbs we can use the empty
subject it. • 50(5c)
It seemed (that) the plane was losing height.
The object of the to-infinitive can be subject of a passive sentence.
Active: Someone seems to have stolen the computer.
Passive: The computer seems to have been stolen.
3 Sometimes we can use a finite clause instead of the infinitive clause.
We decided to play tennis.
We decided (that) we would play tennis.
But with some verbs this is not possible.
NOT People are refusing that they pay the new tax.
For verb + finite clause, • 262(1).
121 To-infinitive or gerund after a verb
1 Verbs taking only one form
Some verbs take a to-infinitive, and others take a gerund.
To-infinitive: I decided to take a taxi.
Gerund: I suggested taking a taxi.