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)