infinitivluse

Infinitivluse is a term used in linguistics to describe the phenomenon where the infinitive form of a verb is used without the preceding particle "to" in certain grammatical constructions. This omission is common in English and occurs after specific verbs and in particular idiomatic expressions.

The most frequent instances of infinitivluse involve modal verbs such as "can," "could," "may," "might," "shall," "should," "will," and "would." For example, one would say "I can swim," not "I can to swim." Similarly, auxiliary verbs like "do," "does," and "did" also govern the bare infinitive: "He sings well," but "He did not sing well."

Other verbs that typically take the bare infinitive include "let," "make," and "help." For instance, "Let me go" and "She made him laugh" are standard constructions. When used with "help," the "to" is often optional: "He helped me (to) find my keys."

Infinitivluse also appears in certain fixed phrases and expressions, such as "would rather," "had better," and "cannot but." Examples include "I would rather stay home" and "You had better hurry." Understanding infinitivluse is crucial for correct and natural-sounding English grammar. It's a feature that distinguishes the bare infinitive from the to-infinitive, which serves different functions in sentence structure.