French II – The Infinitive - Quick Guides | World Languages

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Study GuideFrench II–The Infinitive1.Infinitive After Certain VerbsIn French, theinfinitive form of a verb(the basic form likeparler,manger,finir) is often usedafteranother verb. In many cases, the second verbcomes directly after the first verb without aprepositionsuch asàorde.These verbs can be grouped into different categories to make them easier to understand.1. Verbs of Motion and PerceptionSome verbs describeseeing, hearing, or noticing actions. These verbs are often followed directlyby aninfinitive.Examples:•Je le regarde travailler.I watch him work.•Nous les entendons crier.We hear them shouting.•Elle voit ses enfants jouer.She sees her children playing.In these sentences, the second verb (travailler, crier, jouer) explainswhat the person is doing.Common verbs used this way include:•apercevoir—to notice•écouter—to listen•entendre—to hear•paraître—to appear•regarder—to watch•voir—to see

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Study Guide2. Verbs of Thinking or DeclaringSome verbs expressthoughts, beliefs, or statements. These verbs are also followed directly by theinfinitive.Examples:•Il espère pouvoir venir.He hopes to be able to come.•Elle nie connaître ce garçon.She denies knowing that boy.Common verbs used this way include:•affirmer—to affirm•croire—to believe•espérer—to hope•nier—to deny3. Other Common Verbs Followed by the InfinitiveMany everyday verbs are also followeddirectly by an infinitive.Examples:•Je préfère lire.I prefer reading.•Il faut écouter attentivement.It is necessary to listen carefully.Common verbs in this group include:•aimer mieux—to prefer•aller—to go•compter—to intend

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Study Guide•désirer—to desire•devoir—to have to•envoyer—to send•faire—to make / to do•falloir—to be necessary•laisser—to allow / to let•oser—to dare•pouvoir—to be able to•préférer—to prefer•savoir—to know•sembler—to seem•souhaiter—to wish•valoir mieux—to be worth•vouloir—to want / to wishKey Takeaway•In French, aninfinitive often follows another verb.•Many verbsdo not require a prepositionbefore the infinitive.•These verbs usually belong to three groups:oVerbs of perception(see, hear, watch)oVerbs of thinking or declaring(believe, hope, deny)oCommon everyday verbs(want, prefer, be able to, have to)•Learning which verbs are followeddirectly by an infinitivewill help you formmore naturalFrench sentences.

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Study Guide2.Infinitive After Certain PrepositionsIn French, theinfinitive form of a verb(such asparler, finir, réussir) is often usedafterprepositions. In most cases, the preposition is followed directly by the infinitive.However, there are a few important exceptions and patterns to remember.1. Special Cases with PrepositionsMost prepositions are followed by aninfinitive, but two important exceptions exist:•enis followed by thepresent participle•aprèsis followed by thepast infinitiveTwo other common uses include:•parmeans“by”when used with verbs likecommencerorfinir•pourmeans“in order to”when followed by an infinitiveExamples:•Il parle sans réfléchir.He speaks without thinking.•Elle commence par danser.She begins by dancing.•Ils finissent par rire.They end up laughing.•Il faut souffrir pour réussir.It is necessary to suffer to succeed.2. Verbs Followed byà + InfinitiveSome verbs require the prepositionàbefore the infinitive. These verbs often expresstendency,intention, effort, or purpose.Examples:

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Study Guide•Je m'attends à gagner.I expect to win.•Elle tarde à arriver.She is late in arriving.Common verbs that takeà + infinitiveinclude:•s'accoutumer à—to become accustomed to•aider à—to help•s'amuser à—to have fun by•apprendre à—to teach•arriver à—to succeed in•s'attendre à—to expect•autoriser à—to authorize•avoir à—to have to•chercher à—to try or seek•commencer à—to begin•consentir à—to consent•continuer à—to continue•se décider à—to decide•se disposer à—to be disposed to•encourager à—to encourage•enseigner à—to teach•s'habituer à—to become accustomed to•hésiter à—to hesitate•inciter à—to encourage or incite•s'intéresser à—to be interested in•inviter à—to invite

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Study Guide•se mettre à—to begin•persister à—to persist•renoncer à—to renounce•réussir à—to succeed in•songer à—to think about•tarder à—to delay / to be late in•tenir à—to be eager or anxious to3. Verbs Followed byde + InfinitiveMany verbs require the prepositiondebefore the infinitive. These verbs often relate toasking,allowing, refusing, or completing an action.Examples:•Elle a oublié de me téléphoner.She forgot to call me.•Ils refusent de travailler.They refuse to work.Common verbs that takede + infinitiveinclude:•accuser de—to accuse•s'agir de—to be a question of•s'arrêter de—to stop•blâmer de—to blame•cesser de—to stop•complimenter de—to compliment•convenir de—to agree•craindre de—to fear•décider de—to decide

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