A practical english grammar - Vyssaja skola 1978
Other verbs followed by infinitives
Sound symbols
Willingness, desire (or their opposites)
I want to see that movie.
I intend to leave in a while.
He decided not to tell his friend about the accident.
I preferred not to wait.
I tried not to sneeze.
They attempted to justify their behavior.
Other verbs that can be followed by infinitives (not a complete list):
agree expect love seek
ask hate mean (= intend) strive
demand hesitate offer struggle
desire hope plan wish
endeavor like (or would like) refuse
The following verbs are commonly used only in the negative or interrogative.
I can’t bear to see children unhappy.
He didn’t bother to wait for us.
Can you stand to have your teeth drilled?
Mental states
I didn’t remember to cash the check.
You forgot to write down the number.
I didn’t think to ask Mary about her brother.
The last verb, think, when it has this meaning (“call to mind”) is usually used only in the negative or interrogative. Remember and forget can also be followed by gerunds, but there is an important difference in meaning: see Chapter II.
BEGIN, CEASE, CONTINUE and some of their synonyms
It began to rain.
It started to rain.
I ceased to be interested in his problems.
It continued to rain all afternoon.
Other verbs
I fail to understand your attitude.
They pretended to be asleep.
She claims to be related to the President.
Say, when followed by an infinitive, resembles verbs previously discussed in form but not in meaning. In all other cases, when a verb is followed by an infinitive, it is the subject of the first verb that is the actor for both verbs. In the case of say, the actor of the second verb is not expressed but is assumed to be some other person in the context.
He said to wait. (The person reporting the event or the person being discussed is the actor of wait.)
I say to go ahead. (The person I am speaking to, or about, is the actor of go.)
Linking verbs having to do with perception (seem, appear) and the verbs happen and come are followed by infinitives, with special meanings.
He seems to be an intelligent man. (It seems to me that he is intelligent.)
He appears to like her. (It appears to me that he likes her.)
I happen to be a lawyer. (I am a lawyer, as it happens.)
He came to be liked by everybody. (After a time, he was liked by everybody.)
Negation with these verbs. In most cases, except for the idioms presented at the beginning of the lesson, either the characteristic verb or the infinitive can be made negative. The characteristic verb is made negative in the regular way, that is, with do and not or a contraction of these words. The infinitive is made negative by putting not in front of it. In some cases, this makes an important difference in meaning; in others, the meaning remains just about the same, no matter which part of the predicate is made negative.
With the idiomatic verbs presented earlier, only the characteristic verb may be negated.
You aren’t to open that package until your birthday.
You’re not to open that package until your birthday.
I’m not going to tell you what is in it.
You don’t have to study tonight.
I’m not able to help you.
You’re not supposed to be late.
I didn’t use to like anchovies.