1. The verb, in this mood, is used
After Nouns; as, He has an anxiety to become rich.
After Adjectives; as, He is anxious to become rich.
After Prepositions (very rarely); as, He stood up for to read.
After Conjunctions; as, So high as to be inaccessible.
After Pronouns; as, It is not for me to say it. After Verbs; as, He came to see me.
After Adverbs; as, Tell me how to study.
The active form of the infinitive is sometimes used in the pas sive; as, He has a house to sell.
2. Verbs in the infinitive are used without the preposition or sign "to," after such verbs as bid, feel, dare, do, have, hear, let, make, need, behold, see, may, can, will, shall, must; as, Bid him go. He dares do it. I feel the pain increase, &c.
3. The infinitive of the verb to be has the same case after it, as before it; as, They believed him to be me. Whom did you pronounce him to be?
4. A noun or pronoun, after the infinitive of a passive or intransitive verb, is in the nominative, except when the infinitive has a subject in the objective case; as, It is sup posed to be she. Ask him to repeat it. Him is the subject of to repeat, and is in the objective case.
5. Nouns in the simple form, and Personal pronouns in the objective form, are followed by intransitive verbs in the infinitive mood, as an abbreviated form of expression.
"I believe him to be an excellent teacher;" "I believe the man to be an excellent teacher." The same assertions more fully ex pressed, would be, "I believe that he" (or, "the man") "is an excellent teacher."
6. The "to" should not be separated from the other part of the infinitive; as, "Teach them to supremely love God," should be written "to love God supremely," or "supreme ly to love God."
The "to" should not be used as a substitute for the entire infinitive; as, "I did not say it, and I do not mean to." "Say it" should be added.
7. The infinitive is sometimes omitted; as, "I knew him [to be] honest;" "He heard the book [to be] read."
8. The perfect infinitive is sometimes erroneously used in place of the present infinitive; as,
"Last week I expected to have met you." It should be "to meet you." At the time referred to, the act of meeting was not a past but a future event. Whereas the perfect infinitive ex presses a past event.
EXERCISES.
1. Change the following abbreviated forms into the more full form of expression:
We know him to be a learned man. We have ever supposed them to be brave and honest. He judged him to be an impostor. I now see him to be what he ever professed to be. I wish him to learn music.
2. Correct the errors in the following passages:
I heard the bell to ring. They urged him to then become their king. Tell him to immediately come. I did not play, nor did I intend to. He went, and I wish to. Neglect not to diligently use your time. I did not suppose it to be he. It must be her. I thought it to be she. Who did you imagine him to be? Whom do they say he is? Whom do you think she is? They obliged him do it. You ought not walk. He bid me to study. I saw them to pass the river. He was heard say it. The hordes were let to go. Dare be firm. Live as the Bible requires you to. I understood it to be he. I thought it was him, but it was not him
