Intermediate Infinitive Clauses After Adjectives

Table of Contents

  • Adjectives of Feeling
  • Other Adjectives
  • Superlatives
  • Subject of Clause is Object of Infinitive

Adjectives of Feeling

An infinitive structure is often used after an adjective which expresses feeling or reactions. Such adjectives include:

       disappointed     happy   shocked      astonished     sad     delighted

Examples:

  • I am sorry to hear that your mother is not very well.
  • We were very pleased to have the opportunity to meet Dr. Forehead last night.
  • He is afraid to know his prospects.

Other Adjectives

An infinitive structure is also used after certain other adjectives, such as:

                        certain   careful   wrong   right    lucky

Examples:

  • She was lucky not to get injured.
  • The medicine bottle is impossible to open.
  • Is this bridge safe to walk across?

This structure can also be used with an adjective + noun.

Examples:

  • That is a very difficult question to answer.
  • The lecturer is a very interesting person to talk to.

The infinitive structure is also used after the first, the second, the third etc. and also after the next and the last.

Examples:

  • He is the third porter to ask me why I am here.
  • The next car to pass will stop.
  • The last patient to arrive won’t be able to get an appointment.

Superlatives

Superlatives can be followed by the infinitive structure, with a meaning which is similar to a relative clause.

Examples:

  • She is the youngest person to sit the exam. (She is the youngest person who is sitting the exam.)
  • Seeing eagles circling is the most beautiful sight to see.

Subject of Clause is Object of Infinitive

With certain adjectives a structure exists where the subject of the clause is the object of the infinitive. Adjectives include:                                                                              impossible     good     ready    easy      hard   difficult.   

Examples:

  • He’s difficult to understand. (It is difficult to understand him or to understand him is difficult.
  • It is easy to get lost in these small streets; (To get lost in these small streets is easy.)

However, easy, difficult and impossible cannot be used in this way if the subject of the clause is the subject of the infinitive.

Examples:

  • He has difficulty understanding German. (NOT, He is difficult to understand German.)
  • That shirt can’t possibly fit him.(NOT, That shirt is impossible to fit him.)

 Afer a number of adjectives, the structure  “it is …… someone to do something” can be used.  The adjectives include:

      kind.   nice.     generous.   stupid.   silly    clever    

Examples:

  • It was nice of Jenny to give you a lift home.
  • it is generous of them to offer you the use of their flat
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