The Subjective Infinitive Construction (traditionally called the Nominative-with-the-Infinitive Construction) is a construction in which the infinitive is in predicate relation to a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the nominative case..
The peculiarity of this construction is that it does not serve as one part of the sentence: one of its component parts has the function of the subject, the other forms part of a compound verbal predicate.
Edith is said to resemble me. (Dickens)
, .
THE USE OF THE SUBJECTIVE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTION
The Subjective Infinitive Construction is used with the following groups of verbs in the Passive Voice:
1. With verbs denoting sense perception: to see, to hear etc.
Mr. Bob Sawyer was heard to laugh heartily. (Dickens)
, .
The rider was seen to disappear in the distance.
, .
If a process is expressed Participle I Indefinite Active is used.
Tesss father was heard approaching at that moment. (Hardy)
, .
2. With verbs denoting mental activity: to think, to consider, to know, to expect, to believe, to suppose.
He was thought to be honest and kindly. (Dreiser)
.
My father... was considered by many to be a great man. (Gow and
DUsseau)
.
Philip Bosinney was known to be a young man without fortune.
(Galsworthy)
, .
I know that Priam Farll is supposed to have been buried in Westminster
Abbey. (Bennett)
, (),
.
The manuscript is believed to have been written in the 15th century.
, XV .
3. With the verb to make.
Little Abraham was aroused... and made to put on his clothes... (Hardy)
.
4. With the verbs to say and to report.
The gods had given Irene dark-brown eyes and golden hair, which is said to
be the mark of a weak character. (Galsworthy)
- ,
, , .
From these examples we can see that in translating sentences containing the Subjective Infinitive Construction after verbs in the Passive Voice a complex sentence is mostly used: its principal clause is of the type which in Russian syntax is called indefinite personal (- ).
After verbs in the Passive Voice the Subjective Infinitive Construction is more characteristic of literary than of colloquial style, except with the verbs to suppose, to expect, to make; with these verbs the Subjective Infinitive can be found both in fiction and in colloquial language.
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The Subjective Infinitive Construction is used with the word-groups to be likely, to be sure, and to be certain.
The parish is not likely to quarrel with him for the right to keep the child.
(Eliot)
.
But he is sure to marry her. (Hardy)
() .
This fire is certain to produce a panic in the morning. (Dreiser)
() .
Sentences of this kind are rendered in Russian by a simple sentence with a modal word. Note the difference between:
| He is sure to come. | . |
| He is sure of coming. | , . |
The Subjective Infinitive Construction is used with the following pairs of synonyms: to seem and to appear; to happen and to chance (the latter is literary); to prove and to turn out.
They seemed to have quite forgotten him already. (Hardy)
, (-), .
Her eyes appeared always to gaze beyond, and far beyond. (E. Bronte)
, , - -.
