As described in Infinitive Clauses, infinitive clauses are analyzed with a supersense if and only if they serve as a purpose adjunct, or in certain purpose-related constructions (result; complement of entity-referring indefinite pronoun; commercial service; that which something is good or bad for, or sufficient or excessive for). The special label `i is reserved for all other uses of infinitival to, as well as for whenever it introduces the subject of an infinitive clause.1

Infinitivals warranting `i include:

  • I want to meet you. [complement of control verb] 001

  • I would_like to try the fish. [would_like is a polite alternative to want] 002

  • It seems to be broken. [complement of raising verb] 003

  • You have an opportunity to succeed. [complement of noun] 004

  • I’m ready to leave. [complement of adjective] 005

  • I’m glad to hear you’re engaged! [complement of emotion adjective] 006

  • These new keys are expensive to copy. [tough-movement] 008

  • My plan is to eat at noon. [infinitival as NP] 009

  • It’s impossible to get an appointment. [infinitival as NP, with cleft] 010

  • I know how to lead. [complement of wh-word] 011

  • I have nothing to hide. [complement of indefinite pronoun] 012

  • I have something to do. [complement of indefinite pronoun that doesn't refer to an entity] 015

Multiword auxiliaries—such as quasi-modals have_to ‘must’, ought_to ‘should’, etc., as well as have_yet_to—subsume the infinitival to, so no label on to is required:

  • You have_to choose a date.

Whenever for introduces a subject of an infinitival clause, the for token is labeled `i (regardless of whether to receives a semantic label; see Infinitive Clauses):


  1. Essentially, our position is that these uses of infinitivals are more like syntactically core elements (subject, object) than obliques, and thus should be excluded from semantic annotation under the present scheme. 

Usages (2)

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