Higher Lessons in English Part 20

4. For us to know our faults is profitable.

us ------- | to | know | faults For | ------'-------- / our ------- | / | is profitable =============|====================== |

+Explanation+.--_For_ introduces the subject phrase; the princ.i.p.al part of the entire phrase is _us to know our faults;_ the princ.i.p.al word is _us_, which is modified by the phrase _to know our faults_.

5. G.o.d never made his work for man to mend.

+Explanation+.---The princ.i.p.al term of the phrase _for man to mend_ is not _man_, but _man to mend_.

6. For a man to be proud of his learning is the greatest ignorance.

The +infinitive phrase+ may be used as an +explanatory modifier.+

7. It is easy to find fault.

to find | fault -----'------ | It (/ ) | is easy =========|=========== |

+Explanation+.--The infinitive phrase _to find fault_ explains the subject _it_. Read the sentence without _it_, and you will see the real nature of the phrase. This use of _it_ as a subst.i.tute for the real subject is a very common idiom of our language. It allows the real subject to follow the verb, and thus gives the sentence balance of parts.

8. It is not the way to argue down a vice to tell lies about it.

9. It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope.

10. It is not all of life to live.

11. This task, to teach the young, may become delightful.

The +infinitive phrase+ may be used as +objective complement.+

12. He made me wait.

+Explanation+.--The infinitive _wait_ (here used without _to_) completes _made_ and relates to _me_. _He made-wait me = He detained me_.

See "Introductory Hints," Lesson 31, and participles used as objective complements, Lesson 37. Compare _I saw him do it_ with _I saw him doing it_. Compare also _He made the stick bend_--equaling _He made-bend _(= bent) _the stick_--with _He made the stick straight_--equaling _He made-straight _(= straightened) _the stick_.

The relation of these objective complements to _me, him_, and _stick_ may be more clearly seen by changing the form of the verb, thus: I was made _to wait_; He was seen _to do it_, He was seen _doing it_; The stick was made _to bend_; The stick was made _straight_.

13.We found the report to be true. [Footnote: Some prefer to treat _the report to be true_ as an object clause because it is equivalent to the clause _that the report is true_. But many expressions logically equivalent are entirely different in grammatical construction; as, I desire _his promotion_; I desire _him to be promoted_; I desire _that he should be promoted_. Besides, to teach that _him_ is the subject, and _to be promoted_ the predicate, of a clause would certainly be confusing.]

to be true -------------- | We | found / / | report ===|========================== |

14. He commanded the bridge to be lowered. [Footnote: Notice the difference in construction between this sentence and the sentence _He commanded him to lower the bridge_. _Him_ represents the one to whom the command is given, and _to lower the bridge_ is the object complement. This last sentence = He commanded _him that he should lower the bridge_. Compare _He told me to go_ with _He told (to) me a story_; also _He taught me to read_ with _He taught (to) me reading._ In such sentences as (13) and (14) it may not always be expedient to demand that the pupil shall trace the exact relations of the infinitive phrase to the preceding noun and to the predicate verb. If preferred, in such cases, the infinitive and its a.s.sumed subject may be treated as a kind of phrase object, equivalent to a clause. This construction is similar to the Latin "accusative with the infinitive."]

15. I saw the leaves stir. [Footnote: See pages 68 and 69, foot-note.]

+Explanation+.--_Stir_ is an infinitive without the _to_.

16. Being persuaded by Poppaesa, Hero caused his mother, Agrippina, to be a.s.sa.s.sinated.

LESSON 42.

INFINITIVES--CONTINUED.

a.n.a.lysis.

The +infinitive phrase+ may be used +independently+. [Footnote: These infinitive phrases can be expanded into dependent clauses. See Lesson 79.

For the infinitive after _as, than_, etc., see Lesson 63. Participles and infinitives unite with other verbs to make compound forms; as, have _walked_, shall _walk_.]

+Explanation+.--In the diagram the independent element must stand by itself.

1. England's debt, to put it in round numbers, is $4,000,000,000.

2. Every object has several faces, so to speak.

3. To make a long story short, Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette were executed.

Infinitives and Participles.

MISCELLANEOUS.

4. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.

5. We require clothing in the summer to protect the body from the heat of the sun.

6. Rip Van Winkle could not account for everything's having changed so.

7. This sentence is not too difficult for me to a.n.a.lyze.

8. The fog came pouring in at every c.h.i.n.k and keyhole, 9. Conscience, her first law broken, wounded lies.

10. To be, or not to be,--that is the question.

11. I supposed him to be a gentleman.

12. Food, keeping the body in health by making it warm and repairing its waste, is a necessity.

13. I will teach you the trick to prevent your being cheated another time.

14. She threatened to go beyond the sea, to throw herself out of the window, to drown herself.

15. Busied with public affairs, the council would sit for hours smoking and watching the smoke curl from their pipes to the ceiling.

LESSON 43.

COMPOSITION--THE INFINITIVE.

+Direction+.--_Change the infinitives in these sentences into participles, and the participles into infinitives_:--

Notice that _to_, the only preposition used with the infinitive, is changed to _toward, for, of, at, in,_ or _on_, when the infinitive is changed to a participle.

1. I am inclined to believe it.

2. I am ashamed to be seen there.

3. She will be grieved to hear it.

4. They trembled to hear such words.

5. It will serve for amusing the children.

6. There is a time to laugh.

7. I rejoice to hear it.