Английского

§ 2. The infinitive is the non-finite form of the verb which com-
bines the properties of the verb with those of the noun, serving as 
the verbal name of a process. By virtue of its general process-
naming function, the infinitive should be considered as the head-
form of the whole paradigm of the verb. In this quality it can be 
likened to the nominative case of the noun in languages having a 
normally developed noun declension, as, for instance, Russian. It is 
not by chance that A. A. Shakhmatov called the infinitive the "ver-
bal nominative". With the English infinitive, its role of the verbal 
paradigmatic head-form is supported by the fact that, as has been 
stated before, it represents the actual derivation base for all the 
forms of regular verbs. 
The infinitive is used in three fundamentally different types of 
functions: first, as a notional, self-positional syntactic part of the 
sentence; second, as the notional constituent of a complex verbal 
predicate built up around a predicator verb; third, as the notional 
constituent of a finite conjugation form of the verb. The first use is 
grammatically "free", the second is grammatically "half-free", the 
third is grammatically "bound". 
The dual verbal-nominal meaning of the infinitive is expressed in 
full measure in its free, independent use. It is in this use that the in-
finitive denotes the corresponding process in an abstract, sub-
stance-like presentation. This can easily be tested by question-
transformations. Cf.: 
Do you really mean to go away and leave me here alone? → What 
do you really mean? It made her proud sometimes to toy with the 
idea. → What made her proud sometimes? 
The combinability of the infinitive also reflects its dual semantic 
nature, in accord with which we distinguish between its verb-type 
and noun-type connections. The verb-type combinability of the in-
finitive is displayed in its combining, first, with nouns expressing 
the object of the action; second, with nouns expressing the subject 
of the action; third, with modifying adverbs; fourth, with predicator 
verbs of

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semi-functional nature forming a verbal predicate; fifth, with auxil-
iary finite verbs (word-morphemes) in the analytical forms of the 
verb. The noun-type combinability of the infinitive is displayed in 
its combining, first, with finite notional verbs as the object of the 
action; second, with finite notional verbs as the subject of the ac-
tion. 
The self-positional infinitive, in due syntactic arrangements, per-
forms the functions of all types of notional sentence-parts, i. e. the 
subject, the object, the predicative, the attribute, the adverbial 
modifier. Cf.: 
To meet the head of the administration and not to speak to him 
about your predicament was unwise, to say the least of it. (Infini-
tive subject position) The chief arranged to receive the foreign 
delegation in the afternoon. (Infinitive object position) The parents' 
wish had always been to see their eldest son the continuator of their 
joint scientific work. (Infinitive predicative position) Here again 
we are faced with a plot to overthrow the legitimately elected gov-
ernment of the republic. (Infinitive attributive position) Helen was 
far too worried to listen to the remonstrances. (Infinitive adverbial 
position) 
If the infinitive in free use has its own subject, different from that 
of the governing construction, it is introduced by the preposition-