The Place of Independent Infinitive Structures in the System of English Sentences

The study presents a comprehensive analysis of independent infinitive structures with nonfinite predicates, focusing on their syntactic, pragmatic, and stylistic aspects. These clauses, which exhibit interrogative and exclamatory features, are characterized by non-standard syntax, granting them a unique place within the system of English sentences. The paper categorizes these units into three groups: 1) Infinitive structures with the particle “to” at the front (To + infinitive); 2) Infinitive structures with a topical subject (S + to + infinitive); 3) Structures with “Why + (not) + infinitive?”. Special attention is given to the first and second types of infinitive structures, which have not been the focus of prior research. These types are distinguished by specific language features, which necessitate a thorough investigation to determine their unique syntactic status. In contrast to the third type of infinitive units, two synonymous structures with the finite form of the predicate are examined to highlight differences in their pragmatic content and usage patterns. The study also presents a distribution scale of the five patterns according to their pragmatic meanings and frequency of occurrences. These models highlight the following pragmatic features: admiration, amazement, invitation, resentment, disappointment, satisfaction, solidarity, irritation, disbelief, and despair. The current study also provides a quantitative analysis of infinitive structure usage in British and American literature, revealing a predominance of negative illocutionary acts, with positive acts primarily observed in IIS1 structures. In addition, the paper has established a greater frequency of structures represented by finite verbs (CSS1 and CSS2) compared with those having non-finite predicates (IIS3). The contrastive analysis revealed significant syntactic, pragmatic, and stylistic differences between the third type of infinitive structures (IIS3) and their synonymous finite predicates (CSS1 and CSS2). Negative illocutive acts were predominant across all patterns, with positive acts primarily in IIS1. The highest frequency of occurrences was found in structures with finite predicates. Additionally, the study identified syntactic, pragmatic, and stylistic constraints on IIS3, noting the absence of to-infinitives, contrary to some linguistic claims.