1.1. FORMS. TENSE / VOICE DISTINCTIONS
In modern English the Infinitive has the following forms:
| Active | Passive | |
| Indefinite Continuous Perfect Perfect Continuous | to write to be writing to have written to have been writing | be written – to have been written – |
Negative form: not + Infinitive
She asked me not to forget to post the letter.
Like the tense distinctions of all verbals those of the infinitive are also relative. It means that the Indefinite and Continuous Infinitive express an action simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb. The Continuous Infinitive shows an action in progress:
I am glad to meet you. – Рад познакомиться с вами.
I was glad to see Mr Paul. – Я был рад видеть мистера Пола.
Mr. Forsyte will be glad to see you. – Мистер Форсайт будет рад видеть вас.
Не pretended to be sleeping. – Он притворился, что спит.
I'm glad to have met him. – Я рад, что встретил его.
The Perfect Infinitive denotes an action prior to that of the finite verb. It is often used after some expressions (to be + adjective): to be glad, to be happy, to be sorry, to be surprised, it is clever/kind/silly of you, etc.
I was sorry to have said it. Я сожалел, что сказал это
(раньше).
Не must have forgotten about it. Он, должно быть, забыл об этом.
NB! Only two forms of the Infinitive (the Indefinite Active and Passive to ask/to be asked) have corresponding forms in Russian. There are no corresponding forms for the Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous Infinitive, hence they can be translated only in a sentence. The Infinitive of transitive verbs has special forms for the Active and Passive Voice.
It is wonderful to love and to be loved. Прекрасно любить и быть люби-