Module 1

Module 5: Simple Sentences

5.3 Infinitives and Gerunds

Day 2 Infinitives

1. Perfect Infinitives (to have + past participle)

(a). The Perfect Infinitive usually refers to the past. It is used to refer to an action which has been done before the main verb.

完成式不定詞通常指過去發生的事情。它是用來指示在主動詞發生前經已發生的動作。

e.g.:	I'm sorry to have troubled you.
	He is said to have come here. He is thought to have done it.
	He is believed to have done it.
	He seemed to have known it.

(b). When used after wish, hope, expect, intend, mean, suppose, etc., the Perfect Infinitive implies an expected action has NOT

taken place

當用在 wish, hope, expect, intend, mean, suppose, 等等的後面，過去不定詞暗示了一件預期了會發生的事並沒有發

生。

e.g.:	We wished to have done it better.
	I expected to have left by then.
	(= I had expected to leave by then.)

2. The Passive Voice of the Infinitive (to be done) (to be + past participle)

(a). The Passive Voice of the Infinitive is used to give a passive meaning

被動式不定詞是用來表達被動的意思

e.g.:	The meeting is to be held next week.
	He wanted to be sent to the dangerous area.

(b). Sometimes the Active Voice of the Infinitive can also be used to give a passive meaning. This occurs after some adjectives

such as nice, easy, hard, difficult, fit, suitable, good, heavy, comfortable, cheap and so on.

有時候主動式的不定詞亦可用來表達被動的意思。當我們在形容詞 nice, easy, hard, difficult, fit, suitable, good, heavy,

comfortable, cheap 後使用主動式動詞就會有被動的意思出現 :

e.g.:	It's too small to see.
	There is a lot of work to do
	The house is to let at a low rent.
	I am not to blame.
	An answer is still to seek.

3. Negative Infinitives (not + inf)

In a Negative Infinitive, “not” is put before the “to” of the Infinitive. If “to” is omitted in the sentence, “not” is then used

immediately before the verb.

在否定不定詞中， “not” 是用在不定詞的 “to” 之前。如果在句中沒有 “to” ，那麼“not”才可以直接用在動詞前。

e.g.:	He promises not to go there again.
	He got up early in order not to miss the train.

4. Infinitives without “to”

“to” is usually omitted in the following sentence patterns.

一般在以下的句子中都會省略了“To”。

(a). see, hear, feel, notice, watch, listen to (senses verbs)+ Obj +V

e.g.:	Did you see him go into that house?
	I heard her sing an English song.
	But, in the passive voice, the “to” has to be included.
e.g.:	Was he seen to go into that house?

(b). have（, make, let, help） + O+ V

e.g.:	I'll have some students clean my office.
	Who made you do that?
	Let him do that at once.
	Will you help me (to) find a chair?

(c). Some other sentence patterns also omit the “to”

一些其他句形都會省略“to”

e.g. You had better go by train.

I'd rather stay home than go out in this bad weather.

I cannot but think so.

He does nothing but fool around all day long.

There's nothing to do but wait.