infinitive

Re: infinitive

to pay is the infinitive object of to want (to find direct object ask "what does he want?", he wants me to pay). Saying He wants me to pay is the same as saying He wants that I pay. The second version implements subjuntive in a subordinate (or dependent) clause. There are quite a few verbs that take these infinitive-based phrases:

to want
to like
to can (surreptitiously takes an infinitive because to can = to be able to)
to decline (she declines to come = she declines coming)
etc.


The first sentence is basically just like He wants that I pay. A subordinate (w/ subjuntive mood) clause is caused by a main clause expressing emotion. You're right about the sorry, happy, glad thing. These kind of clause patterns are allowed because the adjective is an emotion adjective. You couldn't just use any adjective: "I'm tall that you lost." The difference between the two listed sentences is similar to #1. The infinitive object structure can stand in for the dependent clause.


I'm not sure if you meant to put the only in the second sentence but if you take it out, you can see what's going on here. But is a coordinating conjunction (like and) between the two clauses:

He survived the crash and He died in the desert

It seems to me that the phrase only to gives the exact same meaning as but. So, only to is also a coordinating conjunction whose definition is but. This is a language-dependent thing. I'd bet every language has a but, but it'll depend on the language as to whether it will have other phrases that mean the same thing as but (there might be some others in English too!).


This one does very much resemble the above to, but I think it loses its meaning a little. To me this means

He survived the crash in order to die in the desert.

We use to a lot to to mean in order to, which one way to indicate purpose. This shouldn't be confused with using an infinitive verb:

He left to see if there was someone at the door.

means:

He left in order to see if there was someone at the door.
He left so that he might see if there was someone at the door.
He left for the purpose of seeing if there was someone at the door.


Your right that the second sentence uses to compromise as a subject. The first uses it as an object. To appear and to seem are definitely two verbs you could add to the above list

It appears to move.
It appears that it is moving.

You could also say "Compromising appears advisable." That kinda shows how to compromise is just standing in for a noun.

Great questions...got to love english...well, at the very least a love-hate relationship

Hi again silversturm, and thanks for everything.I know that there are limited verbs to go with a that-clause ( I guess that ).So, as you said, you can use them as infinitive with to or with that.The verbs I know are the following,

appear, forget, guarantee, happen, learn, pretend, promise, prove, remember, seem, swear, threaten , undertake.

Hope that I haven't forgotten anything.

I thought that to compromise would be a verb whether it at the begining or at the end of the sentence.This is- as mentioned- with verbs like seem, appear, and be only.

Thanks again

You're welcome.

And I found a site that talks about this subject HERE.

It talks about how the gerund is related to all this, but most imporantly, in the middle of the page there are links to a long list of verbs that take infinitive verbs after them.