Infinitive... Does this little word cause you any strangeness or does it represent something that you already have a notion of, albeit a little vague? If not, don't worry, because for you to understand about the particularities of this new subject, it's never too much to go back to some concepts, right?
Do you remember when we studied verbs and learned that they represent the most complex class of all ten there are? Well, once again we come to the conclusion that there is no way to discuss, that is, the impersonal infinitive it is the verbal process without indication in tense, that is, the verb does not receive any inflection, remaining in its original form. Watch:
It's needed practice physical activities. (The verb to practise, once free of a corresponding grammatical person, remains in its original form).
Unlike what happens in this example, there are some cases in which an agent is attributed to the verbal process, that is, a grammatical person that corresponds to it.
It is necessary study for the evaluations
, as they are coming. (The verb to study now already refers to a specific grammatical person, in this case, we).Well, now that we have started to understand about these two cases, from now on we will get to know in which circumstances we should inflect the infinitive, always making us aware that all cases are related to rules, those described by normative grammar and that, without a doubt, we must obey and use them correctly, whenever the situation demands it. Let's go to cases then?
Infinitive inflection is related to specific assumptions
# Infinitive inflection occurs in cases where there is reference to specific, determined beings:
Traffic signs signaled to the driversrender more attention.
As you noticed, the flexion was due to the word "drivers" find yourself in the plural.
# The infinitive is inflected in cases related to an indeterminate subject:
I expect come back more times here, as the reception was quite warm.
We found that there is no specific subject for the verb “come back”.
# In cases where we perceive that there is reciprocity of action, that is, cases where the action is reflected in both the subjects:
After the lecture, there was a moment for the participants to greet.
In this case, the verbal action applies as much to one subject as to another, that is, to practice the action of greeting and receiving the action of being greeted.
By Vânia Duarte
Graduated in Letters
