Nhựt Minh NGUYỄN Non-finite Verbs

Section 2: Infinitives
I. Definition:
Infinitive là hình thức đơn giản của động từ có “to” (To-Vo) hoặc không có “to” (Vo)
đi kèm.
II. Forms:
1. Infinitive (To – infinitive)
- Affirmative (+): To-Vo
- Negative (-) : Not + To -Vo
2. Bare infinitive (Infinitive without “to”)
- Affirmative (+): Vo
- Negative (-) : Not + Vo
III. Usages:
A. Infinitive (To-Vo)
1. Làm chủ ngữ cho câu (thông thường các động từ chính là “be”, “seem”, “appear”)
Ex: 1. To know how to drive is useful.
=> It is useful to know how to drive.
2. To get presents is fun.
=> It is fun to get presents.
3. To save your money now seems impossible.
=> It seems impossible to save your money now.
(Thông thường thì người ta mượn chủ từ giả (informal subject) “It” để bắt đầu cho một
câu.)
Một số tính từ thường gặp trong cấu trúc:
It + [be] + adj + (for S.O) + to –Vo
difficult hard (im)possible rude
easy important (un)natural stupid
essential (un)necessary (im)polite wrong
good (un)pleasant useful
2. Bổ nghĩa cho danh từ, đại từ (để chỉ mục đích, dự định)
To/In order to/So as to + Vo
Ex: 1. I go to the bookstore to buy an English book.
2. Do you have money to buy a car?
Noun/Pronoun + to –Vo
= Noun/Pronoun + relative clause
Ex: English is an important language to master.
3. Sau động từ “be” (complements)
Ex: 1. The first step is to check the victim’s breathing.
2. Her hobby is to paint.
4. Sau số thứ tự (first, second, …), the only, cấu trúc so sánh nhất (the most adj/the
most adj-est),…..
Ex: 1. She was the only person to survive after the crash.
2. The last person to come in the classroom is our teacher.
3. In her opinion, getting married is the most important to do.
5. Sau một số tính từ (chỉ cảm giác, cảm nhận, thái độ) để bổ nghĩa cho tính từ này
Ex: 1. I’m sorry to hear the news.
2. You’re very kind to help me.(= It’s very kind of you to help me.)

1
Nhựt Minh NGUYỄN Non-finite Verbs

3. Nam is afraid to go out without asking his older brother for permission.
Một số tính từ theo sau bởi To-Vo
afraid eager kind proud
angry foolish likely qualified
ashamed (un)fortunate lucky ready
considerate glad pleased sorry
disappointed happy prepared surprised
6. Làm tân ngữ cho một số động từ
[V] + to-Vo
Ex: Mary decided to buy a new phone.
Here are some verbs that need to-infinitive: afford, agree # disagree, appear, arrange,
ask, beg, care, cause, challenge, claim, consent, convince, dare, decide, demand,
deserve, encourage, expect, fail, forbid, force, forget, hesitate, hire, hope, instruct,
invite, learn, manage, permit, persuade, plan, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, regret,
remember, remind, require, seem, struggle, swear, teach, tell, threaten, urge, volunteer,
wait, want, warn, wish, would (‘d) like,….
7. Trong một số cụm từ bắt đầu cho một bài diễn văn
To be frank, ….. To tell the truth, ….
To be honest, ….. To cut a long story short, ….
To be fair, …..
8. Trong những cấu trúc đặc biệt:
Too + adj/adv + (for S.O) + to-Vo
Ex: 1.The tea is too hot for me to drink. (= The tea is so hot that I can’t drink it.)
2. You are too young to understand love. (= You are so young that you can’t
understand love.)
3. He spoke too quickly for me to follow. (= He spoke so quickly that I couldn’t
follow him.)
Adj/Adv + enough + (for S.O) + to-Vo
Enough + N + to -Vo
Ex: 1. He is old enough to get married.
2. The chairman spoke clearly enough for everyone to understand.
3. We don’t have enough money to buy the tickets.
[Be] + so + adj + as + to-Vo
Ex: 1. He was so foolish as to leave his family.
2. Would you be so good as to send my letters?
9. Sau những động từ có tân ngữ đi kèm (Verb and Object Combinations)
S + [V] + O + to-Vo
Ex: He allowed me to go out.
Common verbs: allow, advise, ask, encourage, invite, help, direct, teach (S.O) how,
convince, (would) like, beg, expect, force, challenge, remind, instruct, need, order, tell,
permit, persuade, promise, urge, warn, want,…
10. Sau một số từ hỏi: what, where, when, why, how,…
Wh-words + to-Vo
Ex: 1. I don’t know what to do.
2. I didn’t know how to use this computer.

2
Nhựt Minh NGUYỄN Non-finite Verbs

11. Những trường hợp khác:

- Với động từ take/cost

It + [take] + (S.O) + time/money + to-Vo

It + [cost] + (S.O) + money + to-Vo
Ex: 1. It takes me 3 days to learn this lesson by heart.
2. It would take millions of dollars to rebuild that old castle.
- Causative form
Active: S + [get] + O1 (person) + to - Vo + O2(thing)
Passive: S + [get] + O2 (thing) + V3/-ed
Ex: We got a plumber to repair our leaky faucet.
=> We got our leaky faucet repaired
- Sau những động từ giác quan ở thể bị động
[Be] + felt/seen/watched/heard/made/…. + to-Vo
Ex: 1. The thief was seen to enter the room.
2. The Earth was felt to quake.
12. Một số lưu ý:
- Động từ allow, advise, permit
S + [allow/advise/permit] + S.O + to-Vo
S + [allow/advise/permit] + V-ing
S + [be] + [allowed/advised/permitted] + to-Vo
- Động từ remind
S + [remind] + S.O + to-Vo
S + [remind] + S.O + of + V-ing
- Những động từ có thể sử dụng V-ing hoặc to-Vo
+ Không có sự khác biệt về nghĩa
begin = start finish continue can’t stand
hate like love prefer
+ Có sự khác biệt về nghĩa
a. [Stop] + to-Vo: dừng một hành động để thực hiện một hành động khác
+ V-ing: dừng hẳn việc đang làm
b. [Remember] + to-Vo: nhớ để làm gì (tương lai)
+ V-ing: nhớ đã làm gì (quá khứ)
c. [Forget] + to-Vo: quên để làm gì (tương lai)
+ V-ing: quên đã làm gì (quá khứ)
d. [Try] + to-Vo: cố gắng để làm gì
+ V-ing: thử làm gì
e. [Regret] + to-Vo: hối tiếc để nói một tin không hay (tương lai)
+ V-ing: hối tiếc đã làm gì (quá khứ)
Ex: 1. When the soldiers reached the riverside, they stopped to eat.
2. When they heard the bombs, they stopped eating to find shelters.
3. He remembers sending her two letters last week.
4. When you get to Chicago, remember to send her my letters.
5. Peter tried to study French, but he failed.
6. The little girl tried drinking a sip of beer.

3
Nhựt Minh NGUYỄN Non-finite Verbs

B. Bare infinitive (Vo)

1. Sau động từ help, let, make(giúp đỡ, ra lệnh, yêu cầu, bắt buộc)
[let] (để)/ [help] (giúp)/[make] (bắt, nhờ) + S.O + Vo
Ex: 1. Will you let me use your car?
2. John helped me carry the books.
3. His mother made him work harder and harder.
=> He was made to work harder and harder. (passive)
[Be] + let/made + to-Vo (passive)
2. Causative form “Have”
Active: S + [have] + O1 (person) + Vo + O2 (thing)
Ex: We had him repair our car.
3. Sau những động từ có tân ngữ đi kèm (Verb and Object Combinations)
S + [V] + O + Vo (we saw the whole action)
Perception Verbs: appreciate, catch, enjoy, feel, hate, hear, imagine, keep, leave, like,
don’t mind, notice, picture, remember, see, watch, observe, find,….
Ex: 1. I saw Tom study in the library.
2. We watched him work.
4. Sau các modal verbs : will(would), can(could/[be] able to), shall(should)/ had
better/ought to, may(might), used to, must/have to/has to (had to), [be] going to, …
Modal verbs + Vo
Ex: You had better go home or you will be punished.
5. Trong một số cấu trúc
- S + would rather + Vo … than + Vo
Ex: I would rather stay home than go out.
- Let’s + Vo…… (Let’s = Let us)
Ex: Let’s go out for a show tonight.
6. Sử dụng sau một số động từ trong thể giả định bắt đầu bằng “That” (Subjunctive
mood)
S + [V] + that + S + Vo
Ex: Our teacher advised that we go to school on time.
Some common verbs for this structure: ask, advise, command, insist, order, prefer,
propose, recommend, require, request, suggest, urge, [be] essential, [be] important, [be]
necessary, [be] urgent, ….
7. Một số lưu ý
- [Want/Need] + V-ing : cần được …. (passive meaning)
- [Help] + S.O + Vo
[Help] + S.O + to-Vo giúp đỡ ai làm gì
[Help] + S.O + with + S.T
- Would prefer + (not) to-Vo
Prefer + V-ing/N + to + V-ing/N
Would rather + Vo + than + Vo
Would prefer + to-Vo + rather than + Vo
Prefer + to-Vo + rather than + Vo