II. The morphological features of the infinitive (The forms of the infinitive)

The morphological features are manifested in the morphological categoriesof the infinitive which are three in number:

the category of aspect (Common aspect- Continuous aspect)

in case of transitive verbs, the category of voice (Active voice-Passive voice)

the category of order (Perfect — Non-Perfect)

Thus there are six forms of the infinitive for transitive verbs and four forms for intransitive verbs.

The categories of aspect and voice of the infinitive have the same meaning as in the corresponding finite verb forms. Thus the infinitive in the common aspectdoes not define the character of the action while the infinitive in the continuous aspectexpresses a progressive (continuous) action.

He is said to writea lot of books. - Говорят, он пишет много книг. Не is said to be writinga new book. - Говорят, он сейчас пишет новую книгу.

Note:As there is no continuous aspect in Russian the translation does not reflect the difference between common and continuous infinitives unless it is expressed lexically (сейчас).

The active infinitivedenotes an action directed from the subject to the object while the passive infinitivedenotes an action directed to the subject (from the object if there is any).

She wanted tolove and tobe loved. — Она хотела любить и быть любимой.

A writer must reada lot and he is eager tobe read.— Писатель должен много читать, и он очень хочет, чтобы его читали.

In some cases both active and passive infinitives are possible with similar passive meaning. But the active infinitive is found if we think more about the person who has to do the action than about the action itself.

There are six letters to write /to be written.- There are six letters which are to be written. — Нужно написать шесть писем.

Give me the names of the people to contact/ tobe contacted. —Дайте мне имена тех людей, с которыми следует связаться

The active infinitive 'Чо blame" is often used in a passive sense.

Nobody was to blamefor the accident. (=responsible for something bad that happened) — Никто не был виноват в случившемся.

Note:After the verb "to be" in its modal meaning passive infinitives are usually found.

He was nowhere tobe seen. - Его нигде не было видно. You are tobe congratulated- Вас надо поздравить.

There is some difference in meaning between