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Jooney Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Infinitive

Hi,

Ex1) The river is deep enough to swim.

Q1) Is the above sentence grammatically correct?

Q2) Can you optionally insert a 'for phrase' between 'enough' and the infinitive? Ex) The river is deep enough for you to swim.

Ex2) The river is deep enough to swim in.

Q3) Is there a grammatical error in this sentence?

Q4) If yes and the prepostion should be deleted, how is it different from the following sentence?

The food is ready to serve.

There is a missing element in the infinitive, which is 'the food'. Ex2 and this sentence have in common that the missing element in the infinitive occupies the subject position in the main clause. So if Ex2) is not grammatically correct, what are the reasons that make it ungrammatical.

Ex3) The river is hard to swim in.

Q5) Is this sentence grammatically correct?

I would appreciate it if someone could take the time to answer my questions.
  

Top answer

jooney Ex1) The river is deep enough to swim. Q1) Is the above sentence grammatically correct? Q2) Can you optionally insert a 'for phrase' between 'enough' and the infinitive?

— CalifJim

  • jooney Ex1) The river is deep enough to swim.
  • Q1) Is the above sentence grammatically correct?
  • Q2) Can you optionally insert a 'for phrase' between 'enough' and the infinitive?
  • Ex) The river is deep enough for you to swim.
  • No.
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8 Answers
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jooneyEx1) The river is deep enough to swim.
Q1) Is the above sentence grammatically correct?
Q2) Can you optionally insert a 'for phrase' between 'enough' and the infinitive? Ex) The river is deep enough for you to swim.
No. No.

jooneyEx2) The river is deep enough to swim in.
Q3) Is there a grammatical error in t
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Hi CJ,

Thank you for the reply.

Could you explain your answers please?Emotion: smile I would really appreciate it.
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jooneyCould you explain your answers please? Emotion: smile I would really appreciate it.
Can you give me a
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I'm sorry. It's my bad. I should have been more specific about my questions.

Let me start with the first example.

The river is deep enough to swim.

Honestly, I don't know if the sentence is right or wrong. Does its ungrammaticality have something to do with the fact that the understood subject of an infinitive, when licensed by 'too' or 'enough', has to
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jooneyLet me start with the first example.
The river is deep enough to swim.
You don't "swim a river"; you "swim in a river" - at least in the variety of English that I speak.

The structure is something like

*The river is deep enough for a person to swim in the river.

*The river is deep enough for a
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Thank you for your answers.

So the insertion of a 'for phrase' is not possible in any of the examples in the first question, right?

*The river is deep enough for me to swim in.

*Joseph is trustworthy enough for me to rely on.

*That remark is too trivial for me to object to.

*The bed is too small for me to sleep in.

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jooneySo the insertion of a 'for phrase' is not possible in any of the examples in the first question, right?
*The river is deep enough for me to swim in.
*Joseph is trustworthy enough for me to rely on.
*That remark is too trivial for me to object to.
*The bed is too small for me to sleep in.
No. Not right. I didn't mean to give that impress
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Thank you very much, CJ. Your answers helped me a great deal.Emotion: smile
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