English Infinitive as One of the Irrealis Moods

Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61989592%3A15210%2F20%3A73604076" target="_blank" >RIV/61989592:15210/20:73604076 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="http://pdf.uhk.cz/hkjas/pi/pdf/vol7nr1_2020.pdf#page=70" target="_blank" >http://pdf.uhk.cz/hkjas/pi/pdf/vol7nr1_2020.pdf#page=70</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
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Result language
angličtina
Original language name
English Infinitive as One of the Irrealis Moods
Original language description
English to-infinitive comes in different sizes and has different functions. There seems to be, however, a common denominator for almost all of them, and that is the irrealis mood. Apart from the infinitive, there are two other irrealis moods in English, the imperative and subjunctive. English infinitive can appear in main clauses where it can express indirect directives, optative and most importantly orders, regulations and advice. This means that the infinitive can substitute the imperative in expressing unrealized states of affairs. Moreover, English infinitive has competed and won over the subjunctive in complementation. Infinitives also form subjects or topics and as such they can appear in all types of conditional sentences instead of the finite subordinate conditional clauses. Finally, there are infinitival adjuncts such as infinitive of purpose and infinitival relatives which also prove to be irrealis. There are a few exceptions where the infinitive does not function as an irrealis mood, but these are quite marginal and are connected to the past tense of the matrix verb and the inability of the infinitive to express its own tense. This article, which employs a cross-linguistic comparison with Czech, aims to provide sufficient arguments for the to-infinitive being perceived as one of the irrealis moods.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year
2020
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

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