Verb as Complement ( Infinitive)

Verbs with Infinitive Complements

FULL CLAUSE
In general,  to verbs relate to a goal, a projected time in the future. The verb expressing a wish or hope is followed by a clause that is reduced to an infinitive clause. [The full clause is not actually used in speech or writing.]  A specific group of verbs is complemented by an infinitve (nonfinite) clause.
SUBJ	PRED	COMP / ADJUNCT
Ed	needs	[that Ed gets some help]
Ed	hopes	[that Ed finds some peace and quiet]
Ed	likes	[that Ed receives attention]
Ed	hates	[that Ed hears criticism from others]
INIFINITIVE CLAUSE
An infinitive clause is a reduced clause: (1) the verb form, an infinitive, is not marked for tense, person, or number; (2) the subject is omitted and understood as being the same as the subject of the main (matrix) clause; (3) to is analyzed as a subordinator that is complemented by a bare (plain) verb form.
SUBJ	PRED	COMPLEMENT
Ed	needs	[for Ed] to get some help.
Ed	hopes	[for Ed] to find some peace and quiet.
Ed	likes	[for Ed] to receive attention.
Ed	hates	[for Ed] to hear criticism from others.

 

criticism (N) – negative comments

goal (N) – objective, result, something that someone wants to achieve or do

*The subject of an infinitive clause is expressed as [for + noun] (accusative pronoun).  See Infinitive w/Subject 

(Azar 14-6) (Biber 9.4)  (Huddleston 14 §1.4) (Swan 258)   See Grammar Notes below for grammatical terms.

Verbs Followed by Infinitives  ("to" verbs)

VERBS + INFINITIVE
afford     I can afford to buy it.	continue¹   I continue to work there.
agree     I agreed to help her.	decide      I can afford to buy it.
appear  You appear to be lost.	demand   He demanded to know.
arrange  I arranged to meet them.	deserve¹  You deserve to win.
ask          I asked to go along.	desire  She desires to see you.
attempt¹ I attempted to explain.	expect  I expect to be a little late.
beg        I begged to go too.	fail   I failed to get an A.
begin¹    I began to take classes.	forget²  I forgot to call you.
can't bear   I can't bear to leave.	hate  I hate to miss your show.
can't stand¹  I can't stand to wait.	hesitate¹ I hesitate to say anything.
care        I don't care to see them.	hope  I hope to leave soon.
choose      I choose to live here.	intend¹ I intend to win the game.
claim       He claims to be smart.	learn  I learned to speak Swahili.
consent  He consented to hire them.	hope  I hope to see you soon.
MORE  VERBS + INFINITIVE
like¹ I like to swim.	regret   I regret to tell you this.
would like I'd like to go with you.	remember²   I remembered to lock it.
love¹   I love to dance.	seem   He seems to be relaxed.
manage  I'll manage to survive.	start¹   It started to snow.
mean  I didn't mean to hurt you.	struggle   I struggle to do well.
need  I need to ask them.	swear   I swear to be true.
neglect¹   I neglected to do my work.	tend   I tend to be on time.
offer   I offered to pay for it.	threaten   I hope to see you soon.
plan   I plan to leave soon.	try²   I try to help often.
prefer¹   I prefer to pay less.	use³   I used to play tennis.
pretend   I pretend to be confident.	volunteer   I volunteered to cook.
prepare   I will prepare to leave.	wait   I wanted to see the show.
promise   I promise to be on time.	want   I want to leave now.
refuse   I refuse to believe lies.	wish   I wish to go to Italy.

¹ This verb can be used before an infinitive or a gerund without a change in meaning  (e.g.  I began to plan my trip last week.  /   I began planning my trip last week.)
²  See Meaning differs
³ used (a former habit) — the tense is limited to past 

Bare Infinitives (without "to")

Dare, Need and Help

Bare Infinitive (base form) vs. Infinitive (base + "to")

MODAL VERBS + BARE INFINITIVE (WITHOUT "TO")
Modals are followed by bare infinitive forms. Three verbs dare, need and help are followed by the bare infinitive form (without to) when used as modals, mostly in questions or in negative contexts. (Help requires "do" support.¹)
SUBJ + PRED	BARE INFINITIVE
MODAL-LIKE VERBS
Dare he He dare not	go on vacation?      go on vacation now.
Need we We need not	ask  permission?      ask  permission?
Did they help They didn't help	get the project done?      get the project done.
MODAL VERBS
Can we We cannot	go on vacation?      go on vacation?
May we  We may not	leave early?     leave early.
LEXICAL VERBS + INFINITIVE (WITH "TO")
The same three verbs dare, need and help are followed by the infinitive with to when they are used as lexical verbs. The meaning expressed as modal or lexical verb is the same.
SUBJ + PRED	INFINITIVE
LEXCIAL VERBS
Does he dare He doesn't dare	to go on vacation now? to go on vacation now.
Does he need He doesn't need	to ask permission? to ask permission.
Did they help They didn't help	to get the project done? to get the project done.
LEXICAL VERBS
Are we able We aren't able	to go on vacation now?  to go on vacation now.
Do we have We don't have	to ask permission first? to ask permission first.

Also see Nonfinite Verb Form Types "plain form".

¹A lexical verb has a dictionary meaning, can be marked for tense and 3rd person, uses "do" (or "be") support in questions and negatives. In contrast, modals express meaning through "mood", are not marked for tense or 3rd person, do not use"do" support in questions and negatives. Modals express the speaker's opinion about the following verb phrase. They are used before the bare infinitives of other verbs, and add certain kinds of meaning connected with certainty, or with obligation, and freedom to act.

Negatives Infinitives

Express no interest vs. avoidance

Negative main verb vs. negative infinitive

NEGATIVE MAIN VERB
Use a negative verb if the speaker has no particular intention to do something.
NO PARTICULAR INTENTION	ACTIVITY
I don't plan (Either I have no plans or shopping downtown is not included in my plans.)	to shop downtown.
I don't want (Buying shoes is not on my "want list".)	to buy anymore shoes.
I don't choose (I am not a decision maker.  The fashionistas make this decision.)	to wear fashionable shoes.
NEGATIVE INFINITIVE
Use a negative infinitive if the speak has a clear intention to avoid something.
INTENTION	AVOIDED ACTIVITY
I plan	not to shop downtown.   (Shopping downtown is not included in my plans.)
I want	not to buy shoes.   (This is my desire—no shoes!)
I choose (I make the decision—no fashionable shoes for me.)	not to wear fashionable shoes.

subtle – not easy to notice or understand unless you pay careful attention; not obvious

Switch to Infinitive

Avoiding a double -ing sequence

Avoiding Double –ing

DOUBLE -ING

Usually a speaker will vary the wording of a sentence that links same-form verbs. That is to say, the person may avoid using two -ing forms or two "to" forms in a series.

*Justin was continuing  driving without his glasses.  Justin continued driving without his glasses.

*Justin was starting wearing his glasses.  Justin started wearing his glasses.

He won't dare [to] continue to refuse paying for the gas.

She intends to try persuading him to help her [to] change her car tire.

SWITCHING TO AN INFINITIVE

For those verbs (e.g.,attempt, begin, can't stand, continue, deserve, hesitate, intend, like, love, neglect, prefer, start) that do not change meaning when used as a gerund vs. an infinitive, the speaker can switch to an  infinitive form.

Justin was continuing  to drive without his glasses.

Justin was starting to wear his glasses

He won't dare to continue to refuse to pay for the gas.

She intends to try to persuade him to help her  to change her car tire.

*This is not incorrect but often avoided or reworded.

The same switching occurs with to: He prefers X to Y (where X and Y are infinitives). He prefers to jog to to walk. See Prefer to.

"The double-ing constraint" (Huddleston 14 §5.6.1)