INFINITIVE – TOO/ENOUGH - `-ING’ FORM

Can you bear not knowing what a bare infinitive is?

Two kinds of infinitive

• Bare infinitive

• To-infinitive

Two kinds of infinitive

• Bare infinitive e.g. stay, go

• To-infinitive e.g. to stay, to go

Use the bare infinitive

• After modal verbs, e.g.

• After the verbs `let’ and `make’

Use the bare infinitive

• After modal verbs, e.g. can, must etc.

• After the verbs `let’ and `make’– Let Bill go home early– Make them sit down

He said, `I will not go!’

• He refused ___________________

He said, `I will not go!’

• He refused to go

Jack will see you. He’ll be glad about that

Make this one sentence:

Jack will be glad ______________

Jack will see you. He’ll be glad about that

Make this one sentence:

Jack will be glad to see you

He can operate the computer.

Rewrite the sentence

He knows ___________________

He can operate the computer.

Rewrite the sentence

He knows how to operate the computer

It’s very cold so we can’t go outside

It’s too cold____________

It’s very cold so we can’t go outside

It’s too cold to go outside

Tom’s clever. He can solve this problem

Make this into one sentence:

Tom is clever enough ______________

Tom’s clever. He can solve this problem

Make this into one sentence:

Tom is clever enough

to solve this problem

This box is very heavy. Tom cannot lift it

This box is too heavy _________________

This box is very heavy. Tom cannot lift it

This box is too heavy

for Tom to lift

Tom is not very strong. He cannot move the box.

• Use `enough’ to make one sentence

• Tom is not strong ____________________

Tom is not very strong. He cannot move the box.

• Use `enough’ to make one sentence

• Tom is not strong enough to move the box

There is a lot of space. Everyone can come in.

There is enough space _________________________

There is a lot of space. Everyone can come in.

There is enough space

for everyone to come in

We can use the `-ing’ form

• As a noun (either subject or object)– Speaking English is easy– I suggested speaking English– He began collecting stamps

• After prepositions– This book is about fishing– I’m tired of doing the same thing every day– I’m looking forward to meeting him (The `to’ is a

preposition, not part of an infinitive)

• After preposition + noun (Remember for ERS!!)– This story is about a man finding buried treasure

Uses of `ing’-form

• After the verb `go’ when we talk about activities– Let’s go running

– They used to go pig sticking at the weekends

• After special phrases like: it’s no use, be busy, it’s (not) worth etc.– It’s no use shouting to him. He’s too far away to hear.

Some verbs can be used with EITHER the `-ing’ form OR with the to -infinitive

• start– He started to make a strange noise– He started making a strange noise

• begin• continue• like • love• prefer• hate

With some verbs, the meaning with the infinitive is different from the meaning

with the infinitive.

• I forgot to take my medicine

• I forgot taking my medicine

Some can only be used with the `ing’-form

• avoid• admit• confess• deny• regret• suggest (Careful! Everyone in HK gets this wrong!)

• enjoy• dislike• mind

– Would you mind answering a few questions?

Some verbs and expressions are only used with the to-infinitive

• decide– I decided to take the later train

• expect

• want

• would like

• would prefer

Finally, with verbs of seeing, hearing and feeling, there is a difference between the meaning with object + bare infinitive and

object plus `ing’-form

• I saw him crossing the street

• I saw him cross the street

Finally, with verbs of seeing, hearing and feeling, there is a difference between the meaning with object + bare infinitive and

object plus `ing’-form

• I saw him crossing the street

(crossing is an action in progress)

• I saw him cross the street

(crossing is a completed action)