Неличные формы глагола : Инфинитив = Verbals in Depth : the Infinitive

Министерство образования и науки Российской Федерации Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего образования
«Московский педагогический государственный университет»


С. В. Майоршина

НЕЛИЧНЫЕ ФОРМЫ ГЛАГОЛА: ИНФИНИТИВ

S. V. Mayorshina

VERBALS IN DEPTH: THE INFINITIVE

Учебное пособие










МПГУ
Москва • 2018

УДК 811.111(075.8)
ББК 81.2Англ-2я73 М147







Рецензенты:
     Шемчук Ю. М., зав. кафедрой лингвистики и профессиональной коммуникации в области гуманитарных наук факультета гуманитарных наук МГЛУ, д. филол. н., профессор
  Калякин А. С., зав. кафедрой туризма и межкультурной коммуникации географического факультета МПГУ, к. и. н., доцент










         Майоршина, Светлана Владимировна.

М147 Неличные формы глагола : Инфинитив = Verbals in Depth : the Infinitive : учебное пособие / С. В. Майоршина. - Москва : МПГУ, 2018. - 96 с.
         ISBN 978-5-4263-0632-5
         Учебное пособие содержит краткую теоретическую справку о природе, особенностях и употреблении неличных форм английского глагола, более подробный теоретический материал о формах и синтаксических функциях инфинитива, а также употреблении инфинитивных комплексов в современном английском языке. После каждого теоретического раздела представлен ряд упражнений разных типов для развития и совершенствования грамматических навыков по темам, указанным выше. Учебное пособие предназначено для студентов географического факультета МПГУ, обучающихся по направлению: 44.03.05 «Педагогическое образование», профилям: «География» и «Иностранный язык (английский)», но может также быть использовано на занятиях по практической грамматике в языковых вузах и для самостоятельной работы студентов, изучающих английский язык как специальность.
УДК 811.111(075.8)
ББК 81.2Англ-2я73

ISBN 978-5-4263-0632-5                     © МПГУ, 2018
© Майоршина С. В., текст, 2018

            CONTENTS



ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ ......................................................4
VERBALS (NON-FINITE FORMS OF THE VERB) ...................................5
THE INFINITIVE ...................................................8
   1.  THE MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE INFINITIVE (THE FORMS OF THE INFINITIVE) ................................8
   2.  THE SYNTACTICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE INFINITIVE ............................................14
      1)  The infinitive as SUBJECT .............................14
      2)  The infinitive as PART OF A COMPOUND NOMINAL PREDICATE: ........................................18
      3)  The infinitive as PART OF A COMPOUND VERBAL PREDICATE ..........................................22
      4)  The infinitive as OBJECT ..............................25
      5)  The infinitive as ATTRIBUTE ...........................36
      6)  The infinitive as ADVERBIAL MODIFIER ..................42
      7)  Infinitive as PARENTHESIS .............................51
   3.  THE USE OF THE BARE INFINITIVE ...........................53
   4.  THE SPLIT INFINITIVE .....................................59
   5.  PREDICATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS WITH THE INFINITIVE (INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTIONS) ...................................61
   REVISION EXERCISES
   (syntactical functions of the infinitive and predicative constructions with the infinitive)..........................................89
BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................95

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            ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ



   Предлагаемое Вашему вниманию учебное пособие “Verbals in Depth: The Infinitive” (на английском языке) создано для студентов педагогических университетов, изучающих иностранный язык (английский) как основную специальность и, прежде всего, для студентов географического факультета МПГУ, обучающихся по направлению: 44.03.05 «Педагогическое образование», профилям: «География» и «Иностранный язык (английский)», предполагающим подготовку учителей географии и иностранного языка. Это лишь первая часть материала, систематизирующего знания студентов по теме «Неличные формы глагола», которая включает справочную информацию о природе, особенностях и общих чертах инфинитива, герундия, причастия, а также подробно рассматривает инфинитив (его природу, грамматические формы и синтаксические функции) и предикативные конструкции с инфинитивом (инфинитивные комплексы).
   Кроме теоретического материала, пособие содержит практическую часть - это целый ряд упражнений, служащих для развития и совершенствования грамматических навыков по вышеназванным темам. Традиционные упражнения аналитического характера содержат примеры из английской классической литературы, они наиболее полно представляют употребление инфинитива в различных синтаксических функциях и в инфинитивных комплексах. Тренировочные упражнения (на подстановку, трансформации и перевод) содержат современный аутентичный материал, демонстрируя, таким образом, современные речевые образцы, рекомендуемые для употребления.
   Автор планирует продолжить работу над созданием аналогичных материалов для изучения герундия и причастия и надеется, что настоящее пособие, наряду с другими, поможет преподавателям и студентам, изучающим английский язык как специальность, в освоении такого сложного, но интересного раздела английской грамматики.
Автор


4

            VERBALS
            (NON-FINITE FORMS OF THE VERB)


   The verb has finite and non-finite forms. Finite forms can be found as predicates in sentences, and they have certain categories serving mostly to agree the predicate of the sentence with its subject. The grammatical categories of finite forms of the verb are:
   -  the category of person
   -  the category of number
   -  the category of tense
   -  the category of aspect
   -  the category of mood
   -  the category of voice
   There are three non-fi nite forms of the verb, or verbals, in the English language: the infi nitive, the gerund, and the participle (Participle One and Participle Two). They differ from finite forms as they lack some grammatical categories that finite verbs have. The verbals have no category of person, number, tense and mood, and thus they can’t be used as the predicate. The verbals do have the categories of voice, aspect, and tense correlation though, and can be used as part of the predicate (verbal or nominal). For example,
   I can’t understand you.
   “Understand” is an infinitive, it is part of a compound verbal modal predicate.
   She began reading the letter.
   “Reading” is a gerund, it is part of a compound verbal aspect predicate.
   My dream is to learn at least three foreign languages.
   “To learn” is an infinitive, it is part of a compound nominal predicate (the predicative).
   The verbals combine the characteristics of the verb with the characteristics of other parts of speech. The infinitive and the gerund are the forms of the verb, which have the syntactical characteristics of the noun; the participle is the form of the verb, which has the syntactical characteristics

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С. В. МАЙОРШИНА. НЕЛИЧНЫЕ ФОРМЫ ГЛАГОЛА: ИНФИНИТИВ
S. V. MAYORSHINA. VERBALS IN DEPTH: THE INFINITIVE

of the adjective or the adverb. That is why they are said to have “a double nature”. The verbal nature of the non-finite forms of the verb is reflected in their morphological features and is connected with the verbal categories the verbals possess (e.g. “to have been facing” is a passive continuous infinitive). The nominal nature of the verbals is reflected in the syntactical functions they can perform in the sentence (e.g. Seeing is believing. - in this sentence “seeing“ is a gerund used as subject and “believing” is a gerund used as predicative, i.e. part of a compound nominal predicate).¹
   Thus the verbals have some characteristic traits:
   1.   They have a double (nominal and verbal) nature (see above).
   2.   The tense distinctions of the verbals are not absolute, but relative; it does not show whether the action it denotes refers to the present, past or future. It only shows whether the action expressed by the verbal is simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb or prior to it.
   I’m glad to see you. - In this sentence the infinitive “to see” denotes an action simultaneous with the finite verb “am” expressing the present action (I see you and I am glad.).
   I was glad to see you. - In this sentence the infinitive “to see” denotes an action simultaneous with the finite verb “was” expressing the past action (I was glad when I saw you.).
   I’m glad to have seen the play. - In this sentence the infinitive “to have seen” denotes an action prior to the one expressed by the finite verb “am” (I saw (have seen) the play and now I’m glad. = I’m glad that I have seen the play.).
   3.   All the verbals can form predicative constructions, i.e. constructions consisting of two elements, a nominal element (noun or pronoun) and a verbal one (the participle, gerund or infinitive); the verbal element stands in predicate relation to the nominal element, i.e. in a relation similar to that between the subject and the predicate of the sentence. In most cases, predicative constructions form syntactic units, serving as one part of the sentence. They usually correspond to Russian subordinate clauses.

¹ These issues will be covered in detail when the infinitive is characterised.

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VERBALS (NON-FINITE FORMS OF THE VERB)

   She hated him to cry.
   Она ненавидела, когда он плакал.
   “Him to cry” is the-objective-with-the-infinitive construction used after the verb “to hate” (expressing feeling and emotion). “Him” - is a nominal element, a pronoun used in the objective case, “to cry” is a verbal element, an infinitive. The construction is used in the function of a complex object. It is a whole unit and is translated into Russian as an object clause.
   It’s difficult for untrained people to find work.
   Людям без специальной подготовки трудно найти работу.

   “For untrained people to find work” is a for-to-infinitive construction (for-complex). “Untrained people” is a nominal element, a noun in the common case, defined by an attribute; “to find work” is a verbal element, an infinitive phrase, preceded by the preposition “for”. The construction and the introductory “it” are used as the subject of the sentence.
   In the sentence a verbal may occur:
   -  singly (without accompanying words)
   Skating is not allowed. The ice is not very good.
   -  in verbal phrases (with one or several accompanying words)
   To become a good student, you should attend all the classes.
   -  in predicative constructions
   She didn’t mind his coming to the party.
   Note that a verbal phrase differs from a predicative (verbal) construction. It lies in the fact that the former (the verbal phrase) has no nominal element denoting the doer of its action, but it denotes an action related to the subject of the sentence or some other part of the sentence. Also note that in the English grammatical tradition (unlike the Russian one) in the syntactical analysis these phrases form one indivisible whole and are to be treated as one part of the sentence.

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            THE INFINITIVE



   The infinitive is a non-finite form of the verb which names a process or an action in a most general way. The infinitive developed from the verbal noun, which became verbalized, but at the same time retained some of its nominal properties, so like all the verbals it has a double nature.
   The formal sign of the infinitive is the particle “to” (to go). In the negative form the particle “not” is added before the infinitive (not to go).

1. THE MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE INFINITIVE (THE FORMS OF THE INFINITIVE)
   As a verb the infinitive has the grammatical categories of voice, aspect, and tense correlation.

   1. The category of voice:              2. The category of aspect           
     (for transitive verbs)          (for verbs used in continuous forms:     
ACTIVE       PASSIVE              NON-CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS                  
to teach     to be taught         to teach       to be teaching              
to translate to be translated     to translate   to be translating           
She comes here to teach English.  She is expected to translate this article.  
She comes here to be taught Eng-  She is said to be translating this article  
lish.                             now.                                        
                  3. The category of tense correlation:                       
NON-PERFECT                       PERFECT                                     
to teach                          to have taught                              
to translate                      to have translated                          
to be taught                      to have been taught                         
to be translated                  to have been translated                     
to be teaching                    to have been teaching                       
to be translating                 to have been translating                    

   The non-perfect non-continuous infinitive expresses an action simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb, so it may refer to the present, past or future.


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1. THE MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE INFINITIVE (THE FORMS OF THE INFINITIVE)

   I’m glad to meet you. - refers to the present
   I was glad to see Mr. Paul. - refers to the past
   Mr Forsyte will be very happy to see you. - refers to the future
   The non-perfect continuous infinitive also denotes an action simultaneous with that expressed by the finite verb, but it is an action in progress.
   They happened to be standing near a small greenhouse at the end of the garden.
   The perfect non-continuous infinitive denotes an action prior to the action expressed by the finite verb.
   I’m glad to have seen you.
   Я рад, что повидал вас.
   An intimate friend is said to have dined with him that day.
   Говорят, что в этот день у него обедал близкий друг.
   After such verbs as to mean, to expect, to intend, to hope used in the Past Simple, the perfect non-continuous infinitive shows that the action was not carried out.
   I meant to have gone there.
   Я собирался пойти туда (но не пошел).

   The perfect continuous infinitive denotes an action which lasted a certain time before the action of the finite verb
   For about ten days we seemed to have been living on nothing but cold meat, bread and jam.
   Дней десять мы не ели ничего, кроме холодного мяса, хлеба и джема.
   Thus there are six forms of the infinitive for transitive verbs (e.g., “to carry”, “to write”) and four forms for intransitive verbs (e.g., “to stand”, “to sleep”). Note that transitive verbs that are not normally used in continuous forms also have four forms of the infinitive (e.g., “to see”, “to possess”), and intransitive verbs that are not used in the continuous forms have only two forms of the infinitive (e.g., “to be”, “to sound”).

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С. В. МАЙОРШИНА. НЕЛИЧНЫЕ ФОРМЫ ГЛАГОЛА: ИНФИНИТИВ
S. V. MAYORSHINA. VERBALS IN DEPTH: THE INFINITIVE

Tense       Aspect         Voice                                  
correlation                Active                   Passive      
                           to write (transitive)    to be written
                           to stand (intransitive)  to bee seen  
            Non-continuous to see (sense percep-                 
Non-perfect                tion -                                
                           no continuous forms)                  
                           to be                                 
            Continuous     to be writing                         
                           to be standing                        
                           to have translated       to have been 
            Non-continuous to have stood            translated   
Perfect                    to have seen             to have been 
                           to have been             seen         
            Continuous     to have been translating              
                           to have been standing                 

   Like a finite verb the infinitive also can take an object and can be modified by an adverb.
   To choose time is to save time. (time is a direct object)
   Правильно выбрать время значит сэкономить его.
   He is not a man to get embarrassed easily. (easily is an adverb used as an adverbial modifier of manner)
   Он не тот человек, кого можно легко смутить.
   Exercise 1. Translate the sentences paying attention to the ways the infi nitives are rendered in Russian. Comment on the forms of the infi ni-tives.
   1. She determined at any rate to get free from the prison in which she found herself, and began to act for herself, and for the first time to make connected plans for the future. 2. I ought to have refused him, only I had not the heart. 3. She was an unearthly being in his eyes, to be worshiped and admired at a distance. To drive with this lady in the carriage was an awful rite. 4. He was a man to have married a woman out of low life, and bullied her dreadfully afterwards. 5. Why was it useless to try to win any one’s favour? 6. Bessie would rather have stayed, but she was obliged to go. 7. You can’t be silly


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1. THE MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE INFINITIVE (THE FORMS OF THE INFINITIVE)

enough to wish to leave such a splendid place! 8. I went to the windowseat to put in order some picture books and doll’s house furniture scattered there. 9. It is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to be required to bear. 10. She appeared to be cross-questioning me, attempting to draw from me information unawares. 11. Let her be taken care of, let her be treated as tenderly as may be. 12. He may be coming now, and to meet him will save some minutes of suspense. 13. He said I must have gone through a great deal of fatigue and trouble to have affected such considerable chances in so short a time. 14. As she was running past the Tapestry Chamber, the door of which happened to be open, she fancied she saw some one inside. 15. It was charming to have escaped all that! 16. The manuscript appears to have been written in Greek.


    Exercise 2. Choose the right form of the infinitive according to the defi nition.

                                               1. to be cutting         
The perfect non-continuous passive infinitive  2. to have cut           
                                               3. to have been cutting  
                                               4. to be cut             
                                               1. to examine            
The non-perfect continuous active infinitive   2. to have been examining
                                               3. to be examined        
                                               4. to be examining       
                                               1. to repair             
The non-perfect non-continuous passive infini- 2. to be repairing       
tive                                           3. to be repaired        
                                               4. to have repaired      
                                               1. to have written       
The perfect continuous active infinitive       2. to have been written  
                                               3. to have been writing  
                                               4. to be writing         
                                               1. to swim               
The non-perfect non-continuous active          2. to be swimming        
infinitive                                     3. to have swum          
                                               4. to have been swimming 
                                               1. to begin              
The perfect non-continuous active infinitive   2. to have begun         
                                               3. to have been beginning
                                               4. to be begun           

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