Re: the English verbs that can be followed by an infinitive without "to"

MurielB Lun 4 Fév - 20:44

Hi Gerard ! Guilaine ! everyone
I have found some other expressions :-)

Let go of that suitcase will you ?
He let slip a word about his intentions
We'll have to make do with what we've got
Bid him come in (Archaïque)

Guilaine Mer 6 Fév - 10:45

I come back to the "verbs" dare and need.[b]
I hadn't mentioned them earlier because I consider them as "semi-modals".
Sometimes they are followed with to and sometimes not, what makes them different from the modals : can, etc...

You need to worry - you needn't worry.
It seems that the negative form requires the modal form.

Any other example ?

gerardM Mer 6 Fév - 22:20

Hi Ghislaine, hi everyone,

Guilaine a écrit:I come back to the "verbs" dare and need.[b]
I hadn't mentioned them earlier because I consider them as "semi-modals".

Agree.

... You need to worry - you needn't worry.
It seems that the negative form requires the modal form...

I don't totally agree.
I would say:
- true that the affirmative form requires the "to": ~~You need worry~~ is impossible.
- the negative form doesn't require but allows the modal form. We often meet you don't need to... I met it today on Facebook (by an American teacher).

Guilaine Mer 6 Fév - 22:34

Hi Gérard,
Yes, I agree : "you don't need to take your umbrella today"/"you needn't take your umbrella".