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I would like to know whether or not a verb in its bare infinitive form can be used as the subject of a sentence.

In other words, is it grammatically correct to say:

Do what her/his mother asks is something a child has to learn.

I have checked a few grammar books and none mentions this use (if any). Still, it does not necessarily exclude the case.

Thanks.

[Added] If possible, I would appreciate it if a reference source can be provided to support your input. Many thanks for the discussion.

TRI-NGUYEN
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    Yes. However, a correct and more easily identifiable example would be better: "Follow the leader is what we do." – Kris Dec 22 '19 at 10:53
  • Does this answer your question? Talk to him is what I did. Aarts has revised his opinion to regard this type of sentence (with 'what') as a wh-cleft; here, I suppose 'something a child has to learn' could be seen as the subject. – Edwin Ashworth Dec 22 '19 at 13:50
  • Hi Edwin, Kris has his point about the question. While I share his viewpoint, the wikipedia link he quoted does not explicitly mention this kind of "inversion." On your side, what do you think? Do you happen to have a reference book to support this viewpoint that we all three share? – TRI-NGUYEN Dec 22 '19 at 15:21
  • It's Aarts in 'English Syntax and Argumentation'; there is a link at what I believe to be the duplicate, but only parts of the book are available free. His reasoning why 'Party the night away' should not be considered the subject in 'Party the night away is a nice thing to do' is sadly hidden. I think someone here on ELU has the book, but they need the 2013 edition. – Edwin Ashworth Dec 22 '19 at 17:41

2 Answers2

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Bare infinitive does occur and seem so in such examples.

However, the bare infinitive by itself is not the subject.

Follow (BI) the leader is (v.) what we do (v.).

Rather, the entire clause forms the subject here.

{Follow (BI) the leader} (subj.) is (v.) what we do (v).

Uses of the (bare) infinitive (Wikipedia):

As a noun phrase, expressing its action or state in an abstract, general way, forming the subject of a clause or a predicative expression: … … "What you should do is make a list."

Kris
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  • Thanks Kris for your comment.

    I would assume that in "Follow the leader is what we do," "follow the leader" can be considered as the complement of the sentence, supposing that we say "What we do is follow the leader." Although to a certain extent, I understand that a complement is equal, at least semantically, to the subject (e.g. She is a teacher), I've got trouble to find a reference where it is explicitly stated that a bare infinitive form cannot play as the subject.

    Thank you. Hope others will shed more light onto this question. Have a good evening (it's almost night here @ GMT+7).

     – TRI-NGUYEN Dec 22 '19 at 11:31
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It seems to me, that the answer to your question depends upon the reading audience. 'Do what her/his mother asks is something a child has to learn' comes across as a manner of speaking, rather than a formal manner of writing.

user2115136
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  • Hello, 211. I'm sorry; OP is asking (a) whether sentences like 'Drink is what he does' are grammatical, and if so whether the bare infinitive 'drink' should be construed as the grammatical subject. If you're saying that acceptability depends on register being used, please add supporting references. Professor Aarts is one possible authority who has studied this area. – Edwin Ashworth Dec 22 '19 at 17:47
  • Einstein published his theory of relativity, without a single reference to anyone elses work; likewise I tend not to reference another person's work, I'm inclined towards original thought. I understood the nature of the question, thanks. Grammar is something the evolves over time, just as words change and the meanings of words change, so too does the order in which we place those words together. The audience influences the writer as much as the writer influences the audience, and what was normal grammar 40 years ago when I was in education, is no longer normal grammar today. – user2115136 Dec 22 '19 at 19:58
  • But if you want me to reference another person, the Chomsky said that grammar is correct if the reader understands what the writer is communicating. – user2115136 Dec 22 '19 at 20:01
  • Other than Einsteins, ELU does require everyone to substantiate, support and justify their post to qualify as an answer. "It seems to me" makes this a comment, not an answer. – Kris Dec 24 '19 at 08:47
  • Welcome to ELU. You will need to wait till you get the privilege to post comments. Meanwhile, you may spend a while browsing through previous posts to familiarize yourself with how this site works. Do read the FAQ here: https://english.stackexchange.com/help Good Luck. – Kris Dec 24 '19 at 08:50