Be + infinitive/bare infinitive?

Question

Hi, experts!"The best you can do is make a decision..."Should it be "make" or "to make" here? I once read somewhere it's fine either way.This is what I just found and it's only "choose" here.“Welcome to the human race. Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to be controlled by good people, by people who love you.”?Orson Scott Card

GPY · Accepted Answer

My feeling is that "to" is unnecessary.

Cool Breeze · Answer

Little GirlShould it be "make" or "to make" here? I once read somewhere it's fine either way.

I agree.

CB

CalifJim · Answer

Little Girl"The best you can do is make a decision..."Should it be "make" or "to make" here? I once read somewhere it's fine either way.

What you read is correct. It's fine either way.

Little GirlThis is what I just found and it's only "choose" here. ... The best you can do is choose ...

In any given sentence only one way can be used. We don't write the sentence twice to show that we know "to" is optional.

Is that what you're focusing on? I don't understand the comment "it's only 'choose'". If you think that "to" cannot be added, you're wrong. The writer could have written "The best you can do is to choose".

Nevertheless, modal verbs like "can" are not followed by "to", so it's more likely in such cases to omit "to". "can do" gets replaced by "can choose", then "can" is omitted.

CJ

Little Girl · Answer

Thank you, experts, for answering my question with such compassion and kindness.

CJ, by "only 'choose'", I meant "choose" without "to". In no way did I mean that the writer could not have written the other way. I was only stressing the fact that it is more common and more natural to use the without-to form.

However, here is something else I discovered yesterday and the response by Pete has had me quite confused as to how the concept of underlying sentences would apply to my example.

http://www.englishpage.net/showthread.php?10003-bare-infinitives-to-infinitives-and-gerunds

Your point that "can" does not have "to" does reason that it would be more appropriate to use the bare-infinitive form. Still, though, I would like to know how you think it would be more appropriate according to that underlying-sentence concept.

Thank you, again.

CalifJim · Answer

Little GirlCJ, by "only 'choose'", I meant "choose" without "to". In no way did I mean that the writer could not have written the other way. I was only stressing the fact that it is more common and more natural to use the without-to form.

OK. I understand what you're saying now.

Little GirlI would like to know how you think it would be more appropriate according to that underlying-sentence concept.

I have no idea what you are referring to when you write "that underlying-sentence concept". Which concept is that? (And who is Pete?)

CJ

Little Girl · Answer

I am sorry I had missed to insert the link. It's in now. Please check. Thank you. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

CalifJim · Answer

Little GirlYour point that "can" does not have "to" does reason that it would be more appropriate to use the bare-infinitive form. Still, though, I would like to know how you think it would be more appropriate according to that underlying-sentence concept.

Pete's analysis seems reasonable. However, it is more all-encompassing than the simple rule I was thinking of regarding the echoing of the verb "do". The rule for "do" is to echo an -ing form for "doing" and to echo the infinitive with or without "to" for all other forms of "do":

What I want to do is (to) wait.
What I will do is (to) wait.
What I did was (to) wait.
What I was doing was waiting.

CJ

Little Girl · Answer

Not sure if I completely comprehend this echoing concept, the sentence (The best you can do is make...) under discussion is the best as is, right?

Thank you.

GPY · Answer

CalifJimWhat you read is correct. It's fine either way.

How do you feel about these?

What you can do is to make a decision...
The only thing you can do is to make a decision...
All you can do is to make a decision...

CalifJim · Answer

GPYHow do you feel about these?

They seem all right to my ear, even though less usual than the corresponding ones without "to". Are they condemned by a prescriptive grammarian or two? Probably, but they don't really bother me.

CJ

Be + infinitive/bare infinitive?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions