Bare Infinitive

The marker to is usually a part of an infinitive. However, it is not a vital part or sign of the infinitive. A bare infinitive does not use to.

USES:

1. After the following verbs:

bid, let, make, see, hear, need, dare, help, feel, notice, watch

Correct: He bade his companions enter.
Wrong: He bade his companions to enter.

Correct: Let them stay here.
Wrong: Let them to stay here.

Correct: He made her suffer.
Wrong: He made her to suffer.

Correct: I heard her tell a lie.
Wrong: I heard her to tell a lie.

2. After modal verbs:

will, would, shall, should, may, might, can, could and must

Correct: They will wait.
Wrong: They will to wait.

Correct: She must obey her parents’ rules.
Wrong: She must to obey her parents’ rules.

Correct: Her daughter can speak five languages.
Wrong: Her daughter can to speak five languages.

Correct: You should come to the party tonight.
Wrong: You should to come to the party tonight.

3. After the expressions:

had better, would rather, sooner than and rather than

Correct: They had better do this task.
Wrong: They had better to do this task.

Correct: The rebels would rather die than surrender.
Wrong: The rebels would rather to die than surrender.

Correct: The children would rather play than study.
Wrong: The children would rather to play than study.

4. After some prepositions:

except, but, save and than

Correct: She can do everything but cook.
Wrong: She can do everything but to cook.

Correct: She did nothing except cry.
Wrong: She did nothing except to cry.