3) She heard him open the door and go out into the garden. – Îíà ñëûøàëà, êàê îí îòêðûë äâåðü è âûøåë âî äâîð. (Infinitive)
My course paper aims at analyzing the Predicative Constructions with the Infinitive, the ways of translating them into Russian.
BODY
Predicative Infinitive Constructions
In Modern English we distinguish the following predicative constructions with the infinitive:
1. The Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction
2. The Subjective-with-the-Infinitive Construction
3. The For-to-Infinitive Construction
4. The Absolute Infinitive.
I. The Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction
The Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction is a construction in which the Infinitive is in predicate relation to a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the objective case. In the sentence this construction has the function of a Complex Object. In translating the Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction into Russian there is always used a subordinate clause.
Eg. She is a wonderful teacher and I’ve never seen her lose her temper or get angry about anything. – Îíà çàìå÷àòåëüíàÿ ó÷èòåëüíèöà, è ÿ íèêîãäà íå âèäåëà, ÷òîáû îíà âûøëà èç ñåáÿ èëè ðàññåðäèëàñü èç-çà ÷åãî-íèáóäü.
I believe him to know this subject well. – ß ïîëîãàþ, ÷òî îí õîðîøî çíàåò ýòîò ïðåäìåò.
I consider this question to be very important. – ß ñ÷èòàþ, ÷òî ýòîò âîïðîñ î÷åíü âàæåí.
Although, sometimes a sentence containing The Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction may be translated by a simple sentence.
Eg. The dread of the unknown made me recede (step back). – Ñòðàõ ïåðåä íåèçâåñòíîñòüþ çàñòàâèë ìåíÿ îòñòóïèòü.
He won’t allow himself do otherwise. – Îí íå ïîçâîëèò ñåáå ïîñòóïèòü èíà÷å.
One’s gaze made me turn round. – ×åé-òî ïðèñòàëüíûé âçãëÿä çàñòàâèë ìåíÿ îáåðíóòüñÿ.
His parents let him go to country excursion. – Åãî ðîäèòåëè ïîçâîëèëè åìó ïîåõàòü íà çàãîðîäíóþ ýêñêóðñèþ.
She will never let him leave. – Îíà íèêîãäà íå ïîçâîëèò åìó óéòè.
The Use of the Objective Infinitive Construction
The Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction is used:
1. After verbs denoting sense perception, such as: “to hear”, “to see”, “to watch”, “to feel”, “to observe”, “to notice”, etc.
Eg. I haven’t heard anyone call me. – ß íå ñëûøàë, ÷òîáû
êòî-íèáóäü ìåíÿ çâàë.
I saw David enter the room. – È âèäåë, êàê Äåâèä âîøåë â êîìíàòó.
After verbs of sense perception only the Indefinite Infinitive Active is used. If the meaning is passive Participle II is used.
Eg. I saw the fire slowly faded. – ß âèäåë, êàê ïîæàð ïîñòåïåííî ïîòóõ.
If a process is expressed, Participle I Indefinite Active is used.
Eg. He saw Wendy coming – Îí óâèäåë, êàê Âåíäè èäåò.
It should be noted that the verb “to see” should be followed by a clause and not by the Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction, when it is used in the meaning of “to understand”.
Eg. I saw that he did not realize the danger. – ß âèäåë (ïîíèìàë), ÷òî îí íå îñîçíàåò îïàñíîñòü.
After the verbs “to see” and “to notice” the Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction is not used with the verb “to be”. In such cases Subordinate Clause is used.
Eg. I saw, that he was pale. – ß âèäåë, ÷òî îí ïîáëåäíåë.
When the verb “to hear” is not a verb of sense perception and is used in the meaning “to learn”, “to be told”, a clause or a gerund is used, but not the Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction.
Eg. I heard that he had left for France. – Ìíå ñêàçàëè (ß ñëûøàë), ÷òî îí óåõàë âî Ôðàíöèþ.
We have heard that she has found a job. — Ìû óçíàëè, ÷òî îíà íàøëà ðàáîòó.
2. After verbs denoting mental activity, such as: “to know”, “to think”, “to consider”, “to believe”, “to suppose”, “to expect”, “to imagine”, “to find”, “to feel”, “to trust”, and etc.
After verbs of mental activity in the Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction the verb “to be” is generally used. But this restriction does not apply to the verb “to expect”. The use of this construction after most verbs of mental activity is more characteristic of literary than of colloquial style.
Eg. I know you to be the most honest, spotless creature that ever lived. – ß çíàþ, ÷òî Âû ñàìîå ÷åñòíîå è áåçóïðå÷íîå ñóùåñòâî èç âñåõ, êîãäà-ëèáî æèâøèõ íà ñâåòå.
If you suppose that boy to be friendless, you deceive yourself. – Åñëè âû ïðåäïîëàãàåòå, ÷òî ó ýòîãî ìàëü÷èêà íåò äðóçåé, âû îøèáàåòåñü.
Everybody expected her to marry Pete. – Âñå îæèäàëè, ÷òî îíà âûéäåò çàìóæ çà Ïèòà.
After verbs of mental activity the Perfect Infinitive is used, but seldom.
Eg. The doctor found his heart to have stopped two hours before. – Äîêòîð óñòàíîâèë, ÷òî åãî ñåðäöå ïåðåñòàëî áèòüñÿ äâà ÷àñà òîìó íàçàä.
In the Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction after verbs “to think”, “to consider”, “to find”, the verb “to be” is left out.
For instance, instead of “I consider him to be a good specialist” we can say “I consider him a good specialist” and translate into Russian literally “ß ñ÷èòàþ åãî õîðîøèì ñïåöèàëèñòîì”. (This sentence is translated by simple sentence.)
3. After verbs of declaring: “to pronounce”, “to declare”, “to report”.
Eg. The surgeon pronounced the wound to be a slight one. – Âðà÷ ñêàçàë, ÷òî ðàíà ëåãêàÿ.
She declared him to be the most disobedient child in existence. – Îíà çàÿâèëà, ÷òî ýòî ñàìûé íåïîñëóøíûé ðåáåíîê íà ñâåòå.
4. After verbs denoting wish and intention: “to want”, “to wish”, “to desire”, “to mean”, “to intend”, “to choose” (in the meaning “õîòåòü”) and also after the construction “I would like” (ß õîòåë áû).
Eg. He intended me to go with him to India. – Îí õîòåë, ÷òîáû ÿ ïîåõàëà ñ íèì â Èíäèþ.
