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English 1b3 Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Infintives and verb phrases analysis
We will have to go without him
I will help you with your homework
1) Am I right to say that the bare infinitives are main verbs but still non-finite? That is, they aren't like to-infinitives in that they don't function as nouns, adjectives or adverbs?
2) And how is to go functioning? As DO of the verb will have?
I will help you with your homework
1) Am I right to say that the bare infinitives are main verbs but still non-finite? That is, they aren't like to-infinitives in that they don't function as nouns, adjectives or adverbs?
2) And how is to go functioning? As DO of the verb will have?
Top answer
1-- No, they are not main verbs; they are just severely limited nonfinite verbs. Quirk et al shows them as occasional subjects, noun complements, etc: Turn off the tap is all that did. (subject) The best thing to do is write her a letter.
- 1-- No, they are not main verbs; they are just severely limited nonfinite verbs.
- Quirk et al shows them as occasional subjects, noun complements, etc: Turn off the tap is all that did.
- (subject) The best thing to do is write her a letter.
- (subject complement) They made her pay for the damage (object complement) 2-- The semi-auxiliary is 'have to', and 'go' is a bare infinitive.
- I don't understand your question about 'do'.
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5 Answers
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1-- No, they are not main verbs; they are just severely limited nonfinite verbs. Quirk et al shows them as occasional subjects, noun complements, etc:
Turn off the tap is all that did. (subject)
The best thing to do is write her a letter. (subject complement)
They made her pay for the damage (object complement)
2-- The semi-auxiliary is 'have to', and '
Turn off the tap is all that did. (subject)
The best thing to do is write her a letter. (subject complement)
They made her pay for the damage (object complement)
2-- The semi-auxiliary is 'have to', and '
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How are these bare infinitives functioning then?
And DO=Direct Object
And DO=Direct Object
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English 1b3Am I right to say that the bare infinitives are main verbs but still non-finite?If I understand the question properly, yes, that's one way to look at it.
will have is the main verb (phrase).
will help is the main verb (phrase).
In other sentences you might have main verb phrases like has taken, was bein
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Good answer.
My confusion stemmed from the to-inifnitive, which functions as a noun, adjective or adverb.
I was unsure whether bare infinitives function in the same way, but I now realise that they don't.
As you said, aux. verbs are followed by one of two things: bare infintives or participles, but not to-infinitives.
But if have to i
My confusion stemmed from the to-inifnitive, which functions as a noun, adjective or adverb.
I was unsure whether bare infinitives function in the same way, but I now realise that they don't.
As you said, aux. verbs are followed by one of two things: bare infintives or participles, but not to-infinitives.
But if have to i
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English 1b3But if have to is a semi modal, what is 'go'? Is it just part of the verb phrase also (a bare infinitive)?I'm nowhere near an expert at labeling these things, so I'm the wrong person to ask. I would say "will have to go" is, taken together as a special case, a verb phrase. Sometimes the traditional grammar labels stop being useful when you get in
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