THE INFINITIVE AND INFINITIVE

The Infinitive developed from the verbal noun, which in the course of 

time became verbalized, retaining at the same time some of its nominal 

features (functions in the sentence, combinability with an adverb, the 

infinitive of transitive verbs can take a direct object).

The infinitive is a plain verb stem which is usually preceded by the 

unstressed particle 

to

. In Modern English it has the following forms.

to discuss

to be discussed

Continuous

to be discussing

–

Perfect

to have discussed

to have been discussed

Perfect

Continuous

to have been discussing

–

The Simple Infinitive

 expresses 

 

simultaneous

 with the 

action of the verb-predicate.

He raised his hand 

to attract the students’ attention

.

The Continuous Infinitive

 expresses

 an action

 

simultaneous

 with 

the verb-predicate, but it is an action 

.

I was not pleased 

 such long hours.