Lesson 1b

 

VERBS and PHRASES followed by the PLAIN INFINITIVE:

• modals: can/could, may/might, will/would, shall/should, must
• modal idioms: would rather, would sooner, had better
• marginal modal auxiliaries: dare, need
• why (not)…? used in suggestions and invitations: Why waste money on a train ticket? Why not come / Why don’t you come by car with us? 
• do (auxiliary), help, know, let, make

 

EXCEPTIONS:

 

!!!  dare !!!

- as an auxiliary = with a plain infinitive:

1)         in rhetorical questions beginning with How… : How dare she say that about me!

2)         in nonassertive territory = in questions and negative statements: Dare he ask? No, he daren’t ask. Dared he do it? No, he dared not do it.  – also dare as a main verb can be used here: Does/Will he dare (to) ask? No, he doesn’t/won’t dare (to) ask. Did he dar (to) do it? No, he didn’t dare (to) do it.

- as a main verb = with a full infinitive:

in affirmative constructions: One day he may dare to ask her.

after the –ing form of dare: He stared at her, not daring to say a word.

also in nonassertive territory

 

!!! need !!!

- as an auxiliary = with a plain infinitive:

in nonassertive territory: Need she leave straightaway? She needn’t worry about being late.  – even here need as a main verb can be used: Does she need to leave straightaway? She doesn’t need to worry.   

- as a main verb = with a full infinitive:

in affirmative (but also in nonassertive territory)

 

!!! help !!!

may be used either with a plain infinitive or with a full infinitive, either alone or after an object:

I helped (them) (to) carry the injured outside the building.

X

can’t help doing sth.  = can’t stop

 

!!! know !!!

- may be used with the plain infinitive (after an object) only in the present perfect tense, meaning ‘have had the experience of’:

I have known Willie (to) stay up all night working.

- in its usual meaning of ‘have the knowledge of’  know is used with a that clause or a full infinitive:

I know (that) Willie sometimes stays up working all night.

I know Willie to be a chronic work addict. = I know (that) Willie is a chronic work addict.

 

!!! let & make !!!

- most often used with the plain infinitive after an object:

I’ll let you know in good time.

You made me realise how foolish I’d been.

- however they are both used with the plain infinitive alone in one or two special phrases:    

let go = to stop holding something: Let go (of) the rope! Hold on tight and don’t let go! Let go of my hand, you’re hurting me!

make do = manage: We’ll have to make do with the money we’ve got.

- in the passive, however, make, like all verbs except let, takes a full infinitive.

I was made to realise how folish I’d been.

- let, in one of its rare uses in the passive, takes a plain infinitive:

A remark was let slip at the meeting that made everyone sit up.

 

References:

Gethin, H. (1992) Grammar in Context. Harlow: Longman, pp. 188-189.