Research
Findings and Implications
Knowledge
of Infinitives
Formation
What does it mean to have knowledge of infinitives
in English? First of all, it means that one properly forms
the infinitive by using the word to
followed by the basic form of a verb, as in
to go, to study, or
to procrastinate. In the first sentence below, the
infinitive to study is properly
formed; in the second and third sentences, the infinitive
is not properly formed:
I need
to study.
*I need study.
*I need to studied.
Combination
A second aspect of infinitive knowledge is
reflected in the appropriate use of an infinitive clause as
permitted after certain English verbs. Certain verbs, such
as want, can be followed by an
infinitive clause, as in the first sentence below, but cannot
be followed by a clause beginning with a verb + ing
(second sentence) or by a "that-clause"
(third sentence):
The programmers want to
finish the project.
*The programmers want finishing
the project.
*The programmers want that
they finish the project.
So knowledge of infinitives in this case means
knowing that an infinitive clause (for example, to
finish the project) can follow a main verb such as
want. This broader knowledge
of infinitives is really knowledge about words in general.
In addition to knowing the meaning of a word, a native user
of a language knows, subconsciously, which kinds of structures
can combine with particular words and which kinds of structures
cannot.
With respect to infinitive structures, a native
user of English knows that some main verbs can be followed
immediately by an infinitive clause as in the case of want
and that some main verbs can be followed by both a noun phrase
object and an infinitive clause. Some of the commonly used
verbs that can be followed immediately by an infinitive clause
are listed below:
| decide |
plan |
| forget |
prepare |
| hope |
refuse |
| manage |
remember |
| need |
want |
The use of such verbs with infinitive clauses
is illustrated in these sentences:
The manufacturing manager
forgot to order replacement parts.
The hardware engineer refused
to rewire the components.
Some common verbs that allow both an object
and an infinitive complement include the following:
| advise |
order |
| allow |
persuade |
| convince |
remind |
| force |
tell |
| need |
want |
The use of such verbs with both an object
and an infinitive clause is illustrated in the following sentence:
The software products manager
allowed the programmer to alter
the software.
It should be noted that some
English verbs (for example, hope)
cannot be followed by an object before the infinitive clause,
that some verbs (for example, remind)
must be followed by an object before the infinitive clause,
and that some verbs (for example, want)
can be followed by an object before the infinitive clause or
just by the infinitive clause. The following pairs of sentences,
some unacceptable (*), illustrate
these facts:
The computer systems auditor
hopes to investigate the problem.
*The computer systems auditor
hopes the manager to investigate
the problem.
*The
customer reminded to send a new
keyboard.
The customer reminded the service
representative to send a new keyboard.
The systems analyst wants
to complete the project.
The systems analyst wants the
designer to complete the project.
Combining verbs appropriately with objects
and infinitive clauses is what we are calling one aspect of
an English user's "knowledge" of infinitives. However,
it really reflects the user's broader knowledge of words in
general and the properties associated with those words.
Interpretation
The third aspect of infinitive knowledge pertains
to the interpretation of sentence structures containing infinitives.
Specifically, it pertains to interpreting the logical subjects
of infinitives, as discussed in the Grammatical Summary section
of this module. Thus, knowledge of infinitives includes knowing
that, in the first sentence below, the
technician is understood as the logical subject (represented
by the symbol "§") of the infinitive
to repair whereas, in the second sentence, the
engineer is understood as the logical subject of
to repair.
The engineer asked the
technician § to repair
the computer.
The engineer asked the technician
what § to repair.
In the first sentence, where the verb ask
has a meaning similar to "request action," its object,
the technician, is understood
as the person who will do the repairing. But in the second
sentence, where ask has a meaning
similar to "request information," it is its subject
the engineer that is understood as the person who will
do the repairing.
The remainder of this section on Research
Findings and Implications will focus on this third aspect
of deaf students' knowledge of infinitives--the ability to
interpret the logical subjects of infinitives in various sentence
structures.
