r28 finite and non-finite verbs

The to infinitive
The to infinitive is used as follows:

finite and non-finite verbs Ps

aftera noun phrase such
as a goodidea, a goodthing,a mistake

(sometimes + for+ another noun phrase).

It was a mistake f or lim to buy that motorbike.

after an adjective of quality such as small ,toll, ogreeable, pleasant, funny that is used in combination with too.
The chitd wastoo small to reach the switch' The knife w as too bl u nt to cut the stri n g'

Itwas

good idea to stop here.

as easy,

after an adjective such

phrase.

difftcult, hard, impossible + for+ noun

It
after

has never been easy f or

David to sit exoms.

or (not) + adjective of quality + enough

'

verb fol lowed by for, e.g. ask, wait +for + noun phrase.

The child was nottoll enough to reoch the switch' The knife was not sharp enough to cfi the string t wls stupid enough to go walking in flip flops'

They

arewaitingfor usto

decide.

afteradjectives of emotion such as: angrv, happy, glad'sad,sorry' surprised,to express the reason forthe emotion'
I'm glod to see Vou. I'm sorry to hear your news.

The to infinitive can be used to express purpose or necessity after a verb followed by a pronoun or a noun.

purpose: I brought it to read on the train = so that I could read it. necessity: There is workto do! = work that must be done.

after a'behaviour' adjective such as'. good, kind, nice, (sometimes + ef + another noun phrase).
It
w as

silly,

wrong'

good of you to come, and ki n d of J a ne to have sent

thoseflowers. tt was sill1 to go off like that' Itwoskind of You to ring me.

after

WH- wo rd such as : how, what, where, whether, which, who, whom'

We have no ideo
I

what to get for Tim's birthday' don'tknowwhereto go. I can'tthinkhow to do it.

They were wo nderin g who to see fi

rst'