Universitate Pedagogică de Stat “Ion Creangă”

THE SUBJECTIVE INFINITIVE

CONSTRUCTION

USATÎI Larisa
Lector universitar

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THE SUBJECTIVE INFINITIVE

 The Subjective Infinitive construction (traditionally called The

Nominative-with-the – Infinitive Constuction) is a consrtuction in
which the Infinitive is in predicate relation to a noun in the common
case or a pronoun in the nominative case.
 The peculiarity of this construction is that it does not serve as one
part of the sentence: one of its component parts has the function of
the subject, the other forms part of a compound verbal predicate.

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THE SUECTIVE INFINITIVE
CONSTRUCTION

MARY IS SAID TO
RESEMBLE US.

THEY ARE SAID TO KNOW

SPANISH.

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THE SUBJECTIVE INFINITIVE
CONSTRUCTION

 The Subjective Infinitive Construction is

used with the following groups of verbs
in the Passive Voice.
 1. With verbs denoting sense
perception: to hear, to see etc.
 He was heard to laugh joyfully.
 The girl was seen to leave the room.

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THE SUBJECTIVE INFINITIVE
CONSTRUCTION

 If a process is expressed Participle I

Indefinite Active is used.
 Her father was heard approaching at
that moment.

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THE SUBECTIVE INFINITIVE
CONSTRUCTION

 2. With verbs denoting mental activity:

to think, to consider, to know, to expect,
to believe, to suppose.
 He was thought to be honest.
 John was known to be a man
without fortune.

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THE SUBJECTIVE INFINITIVE
CONSTRUCTION

 3. With the verb to make

 The little girl was made to put on her
clothes.
 4. With the verbs to say and to report.
 The Gods had given Irene dark- brown
eyes and golden hair, which is said to
be the mark of a weak character.

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THE SUBECTIVE INFINITIVE
CONSTRUCTION

 After verbs in the Passive Voice the SIC

 Is more characteristic of literary than of
colloquial style, except with the verbs to
suppose,to expect, to make: with these
verbs the SIC can be found both in
fiction and in the colloquial style.

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THE SUBJECTIVE INFINITIVE
CONSTRUCTION

 The SIC is used with the word groups to

be likely, to be sure, to be certain.

 This fire is certain to produce a panic

in the morning.

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THE SUBJECTIVE INFINITIVE
CONSTRUCTION

 The SIC is used with the following

pairs of synonyms: to seem and to
appear, to happen and to chance, to
prove and to turn out.
 1. They seemed to have forgotten him
already.
 2. Only yesterday we happened to see
him.

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THE SUBECTIVE INFINITIVE
CONSTRUCTION

 The Infinitive in sentences with the

SICcannot refer to a future action exept
with verbs and word groups whose
meaning allows of it: to expect, to be
likely, to be sure, certain.
 1. We are sure to come.
 2. He is expected to give an answer.

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STRONG AND WEAK FORMS

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STRONG AND WEAK FORMS

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STRONG AND WEAK FORMS

  Strong form Weak form

u Butter / ‘bʌtə/ Autumn / ‘ɔ:təm/

e Settlement / ‘setlmənt Violet / ‘vaiələt/

or Mortgage / ‘mɔ:gidʒ/ Forget / fə‘get/

o Potato / pə’teitou/ Carrot / ‘kærət/

ar March /mɑ:t∫/ Particular /pə‘tikjulə/

a Character / ‘kæriktə/ Attend [ə‘tend]

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STRONG AND WEAK FORMS

orthography strong form(s) weak form(s)

the ði ðɪ, ðə

a/an eɪ, æn ə, ən

some sʌm səm, sm̩

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STRONG AND WEAK FORMS

orthography strong form(s) weak form(s)

his hɪz ɪz
him hɪm ɪm

her hɜː hə, ə

you Ju: jʊ, jə
your Jo: jə
she Ʃi: ʃɪ
he hi: ɪ
we wi: wɪ

them ðɛm ðəm, əm

us ʌs əs, s

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STRONG AND WEAK FORMS

orthography strong form(s) weak form(s)

than ðæn ðən

at æt ət

for fɔ: fə

from frɔm fɹəm, fəm, fm̩

of v əv, v
to tu: tə, tʊ
as az əz, z
there ðɛə ðə

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STRONG AND WEAK FORMS

orthography strong form(s) weak form(s)

and ænd ənd, ən, n̩d, n̩

but bʌt bət

that ðæt ðət

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orthography strong form(s) weak form(s)
can kæn kən, kn̩
could kʊd kəd
have hæv əv, v
has hæz əz, z
had hæd əd, d
will wɪl l
shall ʃæl ʃəl, ʃl, l
should ʃʊd ʃəd
must mʌst məs, məst
do du: də, d
does dʌz dəz, z
am æm əm, m̩
are ɑː ə
was wɒz wəz
were wɜː wə
been bi:n bɪn

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