Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: Bare Infinitive-clause

bare infinitive
In English, the infinitive without to, as used with modal auxiliary
verbs. In the sentence I must go to the store now, the verb go is a
bare infinitive.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bare+infinitive
Oltre ai verbi modali altri verbi vengono costruiti senza il to
I made her go to the mall
She often lets me drive her car.
Su questo sito dell'università di Sassari
http://cla.uniss.it/inglese/Grammar/Proposizioni/Proposizioni.html#uso
Viene riportato il seguente esempio
All I did was go back home straight away.
Tutto quello che feci fu tornare a casa subito
Ma dopo il verbo essere non si deve usare il gerundio?
One of life's pleasures is having breakfast in bed.
All I did was going back home straight away.
Sempre su la stessa pagina viene riportato il seguente esempio di
'bare infinitive'
Rather than you do it, I'd prefer to do my job myself.
Anche questa costruzione mi sfugge
ciao e grazie

 Anche questa costruzione mi sfugge
Direi "doing it" ma posso accettare la frase come un modo di dire 
colloquiale.


I would never say "Rather than you do it, I'd prefer to do my job myself".
In this case, I would also say "Rather than you doing it...", or maybe
"Rather than have (having) you do it...".
Swan 281 ("Infinitives without to") says:
«4
after and, or, except, but, than, as and like
........
Rather than is usually followed by an infinitive without to.
Rather than wait any more, I decided to go home by taxi.»
Note that in Swan's example, there is nothing between "rather than" and the
infinitive "wait", and the subject of the primary clause is the same as the
subject of the secondary clause.
Joe from Massachusetts

 wrote in message
news:n4_0l.2229$iY3....@newsfe14.iad...

«444 prefer
When we say that we prefer one activity to another, two -ing forms can be
used. The second can be introduced by to or rather than (more formal).
I prefer riding to walking. (NOT I prefer riding to walk.)
She prefers making toys for her children rather than buying them.
Prefer can also be followed by an infinitive (this is normal after would
prefer).
We can use an infinitive (without to) or an -ing form after rather than in
this
case.
She prefers to make toys for her children rather than buy/buying them.
I would prefer to stay at home rather than drive/driving to your mother's.»
(Swan, "Practical English Usage")
Note that in these examples too the subject is the same in the two related
clauses, where in your original sentence ("Rather than you do it, I'd prefer
to do my job myself") the subjects are different.
When you change the original sentence so that the subjects are the same
("Rather than (have)(having) you do it, I'd prefer (to do)(doing) the job
myself") you are in agreement with Swan's example.
Joe from Massachusetts

 All I did was to go back home straight away.
Ecco non avevo mai trovato questo uso dell'infinito senza to, è quindi
un modo idiomatico facoltativo, ora è chiaro.
grazie

 subject of the secondary clause.
In italen construction is similar.
Rather than wait any more, I decided to go home by taxi
Piuttosto che aspettare ancora, decisi di andare a casa in taxi.
In italen, when the subject of the primary clause is not the same as
the
subject of the secondary clause we use subjunctive.
Piuttosto che lo faccia tu, preferisco fare il mio lavoro da me stesso
Rather than you doing it, I'd prefer to do my job myself".
ciao

 What a fire-door does is (to) delay the spread of a fire.»
I think I will buy Swan's grammar. Many time in this newsgroup it has
been recommended.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------
Swan's "Practical English Usage" is not exactly a grammar. It is more an
analysis of English usage, both American and UK, as the title suggests.
There are many things we native speakers of English either say or recoil
from saying, but if pressed we would be hard put to identify the rules
governing our choices.
Swan often says "You can say", or "We say", or "We don't say", without
pointing to a specific rule of grammar. His book is a masterful exposition
which bridges the gap between the strict rules of grammar and the exceptions
of usage.
Joe from Massachusetts

 wrote in message 
news:119b1544-f38f-4392...@z27g2000prd.googlegroups.com...







--------------------
I almost replied to your original post ("Sempre su la stessa pagina viene 
riportato il seguente esempio di 'bare infinitive'
Rather than you do it, I'd prefer to do my job myself.") to say that this 
was not an example of a bare infinitive , but was a subjunctive ; I 
hesitated because (like other native speakers) I wasn't sure that we really 
do say this (though perhaps we did) . If we do , it's a subjunctive . The 
page you quote presents it as an example of a non-finite clause with a 
subject - but that doesn't make much sense in English ; the definition of 
'non-finite' is 'not limited by tense , person or number' ; an infinitive 
can't be limited by a subject .
Mike

 do say this (though perhaps we did) . If we do , it's a subjunctive .
Si anche io pensavo si trattasse di un congiuntivo e non capivo perché
venisse presentato come infinito.
Mai fidarsi delle grammatiche italiane!
ciao