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-   -   Reduced infinitives (http://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=23172)

ROBINDESBOIS March 09, 2018 08:32 AM

Reduced infinitives
 
I have a question concerning grammar:
Browsing a bunch of exercises the other day I run into one on Reduced infinitives and sth attracted my attention. I had to find to sentences in which the use of the reduced infinitive wasn't possible and I had to explain why. In mu opinion these two were the sentences. Can anybody check them out for me and tell me why?

I´m not surprised he was angry,
But he was much angrier ___________ (expect)

Was John surprised when he won?
Of course he was. He _____________(expect)

Rusty March 09, 2018 09:22 AM

I agree that a reduced infinitive would not be possible in either blank.
It's rather obvious that no infinitive, bare, full or reduced, can be used. The verb 'expect' must be conjugated in the past tense (and cannot stand alone).

ROBINDESBOIS March 09, 2018 09:34 AM

Does the same applies to Used to?

Is this correct?
You'll be able to enjoy yourself when the exam finishes.
That's what I´ll intend to.

poli March 09, 2018 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS (Post 173750)
Is this correct?
You'll be able to enjoy yourself when the exam finishes.
That's what I´ll intend to.

No. That sounds off. What you can say is: You'll be able to enjoy yourself when the exam is completed, or when the exam is over. or when the exam is done. That's what I (not I'll) intend to do.

ROBINDESBOIS March 09, 2018 01:23 PM

No, but in the book , in the exercise it says:
You'll be able to enjoy yourself when the exams finish.
That's what ___________________(intend)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rusty (Post 173748)
I agree that a reduced infinitive would not be possible in either blank.
It's rather obvious that no infinitive, bare, full or reduced, can be used. The verb 'expect' must be conjugated in the past tense (and cannot stand alone).

<Is it the verb expect or be?

Rusty March 09, 2018 03:12 PM

I have the notion that 'expect' is expected in the blank.
... much angrier than expected.
... He didn't expect it. (-or- He didn't expect to (win).)

ROBINDESBOIS March 10, 2018 02:12 AM

Well, according to what I ve observed, I think it has to do with the verb to be that cannot be left out.

Rusty March 10, 2018 07:00 AM

I don't see how 'to be' can be inserted in the sentences, when it looks like 'expect' needs to appear in the answers.

AngelicaDeAlquezar March 10, 2018 10:42 AM

Maybe the book exercise needed replies like: "But he was much angrier than he was expected to" and "He wasn't expected to". :thinking:

Rusty March 10, 2018 12:38 PM

The exercise was to find two sentences that could not possibly have a reduced infinitive in the blank. It looks like some form of 'expect' is supposed to appear in the blank found in the two proposals (else 'expect' wouldn't appear in parentheses).

I gave some possible responses. I believe it's possible to use a reduced infinitive in the second sentence that the OP chose (just saying 'to', instead of 'to win'), but it's not possible to use a reduced infinitive in the first sentence. Angelica's proposal can't be used. In this case, the sentence must end with the infinitive 'be'.

@Robin: Look elsewhere in the exercise for a sentence that cannot end with the particle 'to'.


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