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Electrum Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Infinitive without "to"

Something in the back of my mind for some time, but I haven't really thought it out:

The first thing we suggested was to take a survey.

The first thing we planned was to take a survey.

The first thing we accomplished was to take a survey.

The first thing we intended was to take a survey.

The first thing we did was to take a survey.

The first thing we did was take a survey.

I think these are all correct.

The question is why an infinitive with antecedent 'do' may shed its 'to'.

I can't think of any other antecedent verbs that can abbreviate the infinitive in this construction.

Anyone care to elaborate?
  

Top answer

Just a guess: It's not the bare infinitive, it's the base form. The verb "do" can function both as an auxilliary and as a main finite verb. We take surveys / We do take surveys He takes surveys / He does take surveys We took surveys / We did take surveys When we use an auxilliary, the main verb takes the base form, and the auxilliary becomes inflected.

— Avangi

  • Just a guess: It's not the bare infinitive, it's the base form.
  • The verb "do" can function both as an auxilliary and as a main finite verb.
  • We take surveys / We do take surveys He takes surveys / He does take surveys We took surveys / We did take surveys When we use an auxilliary, the main verb takes the base form, and the auxilliary becomes inflected.
  • So this special case for "do" derives from its function as an auxilliary.
  • It seems to straddle the fence in your examples, being both the main verb and an auxilliary.
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29 Answers
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Just a guess:

It's not the bare infinitive, it's the base form.

The verb "do" can function both as an auxilliary and as a main finite verb.

We take surveys / We do take surveys

He takes surveys / He does take surveys

We took surveys / We did take surveys

When we use an auxilliary, the main verb takes the base form, and the
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electrumThe question is why an infinitive with antecedent 'do' may shed its 'to'.
I believe the answer can be traced to the fact that "do" is a 'pro-verb'.

electrumI can't think of any other antecedent verbs that can abbreviate the infinitive in this construction.
Me neither, but then no other verb is a 'pro-verb'
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CalifJimI believe the answer can be traced to the fact that "do" is a 'pro-verb'.
Saints be praised.
Then let us do so with dispatch.

This is what I was hoping for!

Thanks, CJ.
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Bascially, you're right. but it's still an infinitive.

dictionary.com:

(in English) the simple or basic form of the verb, as come, take, eat,
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electrumbut it's still an infinitive.
I'm not clear on the referent of "it", nor why "its" being an infinitive is relevant.

CJ
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What about?

He dares not take a survey.

What he dares not is take a survey.

Just teasing.
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Bascially, you're right. but it's still an infinitive.

dictionary.com:

(in English) the simple or basic form of the verb, as come, take, eat,
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Oops! That was intended for Avangi.
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electrumBascially, you're right. but it's still an infinitive.
dictionary.com:
(in English) the simple or basic form of the verb, as come, take, eat, be, used after auxiliary verbs, as in I didn't come, He must be, or this simple form preceded by a function word, as to in I want to eat.

I thought of this oddity:
He should do take a survey...Wrong
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electrumOops! That was intended for Avangi.
Before I came to EF, I always quoted the "pure" form of the verb as the infinitive.
Eg, In "He had been warned before," the main verb is "to be."

But in these forums I found many references to "the base form."

It appears to be identical to the infinitive without the "to," but in fa
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