| Using Infinitives | |
| Part 2: Using Infinitives after Other Verbs (No Change of Subject) | |
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Examples: Quiero salir. (I want to leave.) Él evita estudiar. (He avoids studying.) Necesito comprar dos huevos. (I need to buy two eggs.) El que teme pensar es esclavo de la superstición. (He who fears thinking is a slave to superstition.) Dudo tener la habilidad. (I doubt I have the ability.) Intentó ganar el control. (He tried to gain control.)
Note that in the above examples, both verbs (the conjugated verb and the infinitive that follows) refer to action by the same subject. This is usually the case when infinitives follow other verbs; the main exceptions are listed below. Thus a sentence such as dice ser católica (she says she herself is Catholic) doesn't have the same ambiguity that a sentence such as dice que es católica would have (it could mean that the Catholic person is someone other than the subject of the sentence).
As discussed in the previous lesson, the infinitive has characteristics of both a verb and a noun. Thus, when an infinitive is used after a verb, some grammarians view the infinitive as an object of the conjugated verb, while others see it as a dependent verb. It doesn't matter much how you classify it — just note that in either case both the conjugated verb and the infinitive normally refer to action taken by the same subject. (Exceptions are discussed in a separate lesson.) If another person is performing the action, the sentence needs to be recast, usually by using que. For example, María me aseguró no saber nada (she assured me she knows nothing), but María me aseguró que Roberto no sabe nada (María assured me that Roberto knows nothing).
In many cases, either the infinitive or a sentence using que can be used when the person is performing the action of both verbs. Thus sé tener razón (I know I'm right) is basically the equivalent of sé que tengo razón, although the second sentence construction is less formal.
Following is a list of some of the verbs that most commonly are followed directly by an infinitive, along with sample sentences.
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aceptar (to accept) |
Nunca aceptará matar el gato. (He will never accept killing the cat.) |
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acordar (to agree) |
Acordamos darlo dos dólares. (We agreed to give him two dollars.) |
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afirmar (to affirm, to state, to say) |
El 20% de los mexicanos entrevistados afirmó no hablar de política. (20% of the Mexicans interviewed said they don't talk about politics.) |
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amenazar (to threaten) |
Amenazó destruir la casa. (He threatened to destroy the house.) |
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anhelar (to yearn, to long for) |
Anhela comprar el coche. (She yearns to buy the car.) |
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asegurar (to assure, to affirm) |
Aseguro no saber nada. (I affirm I know nothing.) |
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buscar (to seek, to look for) |
Busco ganar experiencia en este campo. I am looking to gain experience in this field. |
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creer (to believe) |
No creo estar exagerando. I do not believe I am exaggerating. |
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deber (ought to, should) |
¿Cree usted que se debe legalizar la prostitución? (Do you believe prostitution should be legalized?) |
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decidir (to decide) |
Decidió nadar hasta la otra orilla. (She decided to swim to the other shore.) |
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demostrar (to demonstrate, to show) |
Roberto demostró saber manejar. (Roberto showed he knows how to drive.) |
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desear, querer (to want, to desire) |
Quiero escribir un libro. (I want to write a book.) |
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elegir, escoger, optar (to choose) |
Sólo un 5% elige salir del país. (Only 5% chose to leave the country.) |
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esperar (to wait for, to hope for, to expect) |
Yo no esperaba tener el coche. (I was not expecting to have the car.) |
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fingir (to pretend) |
Dorothy finge dormir. (Dorothy pretended to be sleeping.) |
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intentar (to try) |
Siempre intento jugar lo mejor posible.) I always try to play my best possible.) |
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lamentar, sentir (to regret) |
Lamento haber comido. (I regret having eaten.) |
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lograr (to succeed in/at) |
No logra estudiar bien. He does not succeed in studying well. |
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negar (to deny) |
No niego haber tenido suerte. (I do not deny having been lucky.) |
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pensar (to think, to plan) |
Pienso hacerlo. (I plan to do it.) |
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poder (to be able, can) |
No puedo dormir. (I can't sleep.) |
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preferir (to prefer) |
Prefiero no estudiar. (I prefer not to study.) |
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reconocer (to acknowledge) |
Reconozco haber mentido. (I admit having lied.) |
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recorder (to remember) |
No recuerda haber bebido. (He doesn't remember having drunk.) |
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soler (to be habitually) |
Pedro solía mentir. (Pedro would habitually lie.) |
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temer (to fear) |
Tema nadar. (She fears swimming.) |
As you can see from some of the above examples, the infinitive haber followed by the past participle is frequently used to refer to action in the past.
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