Основы теории английского языка. Листунова Е.И. - 70 стр.

                            Infinitive Phrases

      1. Infinitive phrases introduced by conjunctive adverbs (when,
where, why, how), conjunctive pronouns (who, what, which) and by
the conjunction whether, are used in the sentence as subject, predica-
tive, object or attribute:
      What to do was beyond him (Dreiser) (subject). Walter’s chief
difficulty was, how to break the change in his affairs to Uncle Sol
(Dickens) (predicative). I did not know what answer to make to his
question... (Bronte) (object). Ben had tried once before... to show the
boy how to fly a plane (Aldridge) (object). She... knew no one with
whom to trust the little girl (Lawrence) (attribute).
      2. The infinitive also forms parenthetical phrases, (phraseological
(set) expressions) such as: to tell the truth, to be sure, to be quite
plain, to be more precise, to resume the. thread, of the story, to cut a
long story short, etc.
      To speak truth, sir, I don’t understand you at all... (Bronte). «To
be sure,» rejoined his brother, «it would be a thousand pities to throw
away such a chance of fun» (Bronte). To cut a long story short, we at
length entered an immense cavern (Irving).

                           Infinitive Sentences

      1. Infinitive sentences are usually one-member sentences in
which the princi pal part is expressed by an infinitive.
      Infinitive sentences may be declarative or interrogative and,
being always emotionally coloured, are usually exclamatory.
      The infinitive in this type of sentence is used either with the
particle to or without it:
      Leave grass like this! ...Leave his job before it had begun! (Galswor-
thy). Blame her with justice! ...No! I am not as blind as that (Dick-
ens). To be lonely and grow older and older yearning for a soul to
speak to! (Galsworthy). How tell him! (Galsworthy). Besides, how keep
definite direction without a compass, in the dark? (Galsworthy).
      2. Sometimes the subject of the infinitive is expressed by a pro-
noun (or noun), then the infinitive sentence is a two-member sen-
tence, the infinitive having the function of the predicate:
      «I quarrel?» cried Jasper (Conrad) (×òîáû ÿ ññîðèëñÿ?).
      But Dot? I hope and pray that I might learn to love you? How
you talk! (Dickens). His son, his eldest son, descend to this! (Norris).
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