NOTE.-English makes a greater use of the passive voice than does any other modern language; but the progressive forms are confined to (1) the present indicative, (2) the past indicative, and (3) the past subjunctive:

1. I am being chosen.

2. I was being chosen.

3. If I were being chosen.

EXERCISES
I

In the lists of weak and strong verbs given in § 227 and § 228 find those that have a passive conjugation.

II

Give the complete passive conjugation of to choose.

. III.

Give (a) the past indicative passive of beseech, (b) the present subjunctive active of catch, (c) the future indicative passive of teach, (d) the past perfect indicative passive of tell, and (e) the present indicative passive, progressive form, of hold.

V-THE INFINITIVES

247. The Double Nature of the Infinitive.

The verb has hitherto been studied as a predicate, but there are forms of the verb that cannot be used as predicates. What is to be said of the dictionary form of a verb? The dictionary does not define loved or began or tries or has seen or was deceived. It defines to love, to begin, to try, to see, to deceive. And we speak of these verbs as the verb to love, the verb to begin, etc., though we may omit to. To love, for example, cannot be used as a predicate, because it merely names the action; but the strangest thing about such a form is that it is both noun and verb:

To love flowers is an evidence of refined taste.

To love is certainly a noun in this sentence, because it is the subject of the sentence; it is certainly a verb, because it takes the direct object flowers. This verbal noun is called the infinitive.

248. The Infinitive is a verbal noun which names action, heing, or state of being, but does not assert it.

249. Tenses and Voices of the Infinitive.

The infinitive is incapable of number and person, because number and person imply a subject; it is incapable also of mood, because mood means manner of asserting, and the infinitive cannot assert. The infinitive has only voice and tense, the tenses being limited to two. If the verb is intransitive it cannot, of course,

250. The Infinitive in "ing."

Instead of to with the infinitive we may often substitute a form ending in ing. This is called the infini

When (a) a possessive or (b) an article or (c) an adjective precedes the infinitive, the form in ing is

required. It is required also (d) after most prepositions:

(a) His coming so soon surprised us.

(b) The capturing of that animal was a bold piece of work.

(c) Successful doing means

(d) 1. We are just about

2. We learn to do by doing.

careful planning.

to start.

starting.

3. I wish to think longer about it before making a definite promise.

4. This horse is better for hauling than for riding.

251. The Functions of the Infinitive.

Though the infinitive in itself is incomplete and dependent, its double nature gives it a great variety of functions. It may be used,

(1) As Subject, especially with expletive It (§ 50, 3):

To return good for evil is a lesson rarely learned.

His errorless catching saved the game.
It is easy to find fault.

"Tis only noble to be good.

(2) As Subject Complement:

To bear our fate is to conquer it.
It was proved to be a mistake.
The noblest vengeance is to forgive.
It was thought to have been destroyed.

(3) As Direct Object:

He prefers going.

Learn to labor and to wait.

(4) As the Object of a Preposition: She was about to fall when I caught her.

After loading their guns they calmly awaited the approach of the enemy.

(5) As an Adjective modifying a preceding noun: His determination to succeed carried him through all difficulties.

Ability to please is rarer than ability to instruct.

In the world to come such things may be.

(6) As an Adverb:

That's hard to do.

Is it good to eat?

When did he go to see her?

(7) In the Absolute Construction :

To make a long story short, our plan failed.

His achievements, to use Hood's words, were pigmy; but his promises were hogmy.

(8) As Object Complement:

They made him fight.

We chose him to be our leader.

I saw them start.

We heard her sing.

The officer ordered the prisoner to be punished.

NOTE. In the sentences cited under (8), the noun or pronoun preceding the infinitive is usually said to be the subject of the infinitive; and the subject of the infinitive is further said to be in the objective case. But the infinitive in English cannot properly be said to have a subject. If the student has rightly understood § 63, he will see that the nouns and pronouns preceding the infinitives in (8) are not subjects but