Most verbs have an active infinitive form(with orwithoutto): (to)catch, (to)do, (to)help, (to)leave, (to)wash.
Most verbs also have a passive infinitive form, which consists of the infinitive ofbe(with or withoutto) + the -edformof the main verb: (to) be caught, (to)be done, (to)be helped, (to)be left, (to)be washed.
active infinitive | passive infinitive |
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Focus on the agent
We use the active infinitive if we are focusing on the agent (the person who does the action):
The doctor gave me an eye-patchto wear.
Not:The doctor gave me an eye patch to be worn. (‘me’, the agent – I will wear the eye-patch)
She brought a portable chairto siton – the rest of us had to sit on the grass.
Not:She brought a portable chair to be sat on… (‘she’, the agent – she will sit on the chair)
Focus on the receiver or the action
We use the passive infinitive when we want to focus on the receiver(the person who experiences the action), or when we do not want to mention the agent (the person who does the action):
I didn’t give out my email address becauseIdidn’t wantto be contacted by strangers.(I am the receiver, the person ‘to be contacted’)
Ben was hopingto be chosenfor the rugby team, but he didn’t do very well in the trials.(It is not important to mention the agent; to say who would choose him.)
Afterthere is,there are
The difference between the two infinitive forms is often very small when we use athere isorthere areconstruction to talk about obligation:
Come on! There’s workto do. or Come on! There’s workto be done.(There is work that we must do.)