7-2. Инфинитив без частицы to

Инфинитив без частицы to употребляется после

(1) модальных глаголов will, shall, would, should, can, could, may, might и must:

I must go now. (не 'I must to go now'.)
Can you help me?
Do you think she might be joking?
I would rather go alone.
She will probably be elected.

Так же инфинитив употребляется после сочетаний had better had better/ had rather/had best, would sooner, might (just) as well и глаголов need и dare, когда они используются как модальные:

You'd better see what she wants.
We'd better try again (= I think we should…)
Better (You'd better) try again.
You'd best try again. (had best – устаревшая форма)
I'd rather/sooner stop now. (= I’d prefer to stop now)
We might (just) as well walk.
She needn't do the washing up.
I daren't go out at night.

■ Отрицание такими выражениями может быть только с инфинитивом:

We'd better not stop.
I'd rather not wait.
We might (just) as well not have a car at all,

Но to-infinitive употребляется после ought: I feel we ought to accept the proposal.

(2) сочетания let's (в формальной речи let us)

Let's go (I suggest we go).

Отрицание с let’s выражается так: ‘Let's not go’ (в разговорной речи может быть ‘Don't let's go ')

(3) глаголов let и make (выражающие разрешение и принуждение)

Let go (of that rope). Don't let go (of my hand).
We must make do (= manage) (with what we've got).

Это связано с модальным смыслом этих глаголов (=may/must) и перекликается с тем, что модальные глаголы употребляются без частицы to.

После help может употребляться инфинитив без частицы to

Coffee helped keep him alert.
Will you help carry this trunk?

(частица to отсутствует в сочетании hear + tell, иногда употребляемом при рассказе: I never heard tell of it; men have heard tell of a strange land far away to the west)

(4) глаголов let (разрешать) и make (заставлять) + object:

She lets her children stay up very late (не ‘She lets her children to stay...’/’She lets her children staying ...’)
Please let us (= allow us to) go with you.'
Don't make me laugh.
I made them give me the money back.

(если смысл понятен из контекста, инфинитив после таких сочетаний может опускаться: Please let us. Don't make me)

■ Так же может можно употреблять have и help (особенно в американском английском):

Could you help me (to) unload the car?
Have Mrs Hansen come in, please.
I'll have you know I'm the boss here (разговорно).

С инфинитивом без частицы to употребляется также глагол know (но как правило в совершенном времени) и глагол bid (в старомодном стиле):

I've never known him (to) pay for a drink.
We have/had never known him lose his temper before.
The knight bade the traveller enter.

Но в пассиве во всех этих случаях частица to употребляется:

He was made to resign.
He was made to pay back the money.
She was heard to say that she disagreed.
He has never been known to lose his temper.

(5) глаголов see, hear, feel, watch и notice:

I didn't see you come in.
We both heard him say that I was leaving.
Did you feel the earth move?

(6) в вопросах и предложения что-либо сделать могут быть в форме why (not) + infinitive:

Why worry?
Why not relax?
Why pay more at other shops? We have the lowest prices.
Why stand up if you can sit down?
Why sit down if you can lie down?
You're looking tired. Why not take a holiday?

(7) после rather than (вместо инфинитива может быть и герундий):

Let's finish the job now rather than leave/leaving it till tomorrow.
Rather than wait any more, I decided to go home by taxi.

(8) после and, or, except, but, than, as и like. Когда два инфинитива соединены союзами and, or, except, but, than, as или like, второй инфинитив часто употребляется без to.

I'd like to lie down and go to sleep.
Do you want to have lunch now or wait till later?
We had nothing to do except look at the cinema posters.
I'm ready to do anything but work on a farm.
It's easier to do it yourself than explain to somebody else how to do it.
It's as easy to smile as frown.
I have to feed the animals as well as look after the children.
Why don't you do something useful like clean the flat?

(9) после do

После таких выражений с do как all I did was, what I do is инфинитив можно употреблять без частицы to:

All I did was (to) give him a little push.
What a fire-door does is (to) delay the spread of a fire.