[Apologies in advance if this has already been discussed on ATEG; I've
been on the list long enough that I'm losing track of what we've talked
about before!]
 
Dear All:
 
I ask students in my grammar class to analyze paragraphs from written
texts, and (as you might expect) the inclusion of not-made-for-textbooks
language routinely brings up constructions for discussion that don't
exactly fit standard patterns. I've already told my (college) class that
the traditional responses to such cases are (1) to give them their own
name, or (2) to shoehorn them into an existing category. 
 
Yesterday, it was the use of an infinitive to express obligation or
function:
 
            A.         The work is to be done by Friday.
                        That folder is to be filed.
 
                        ? The work is to do by Friday
 
            B.         There is more work to be done /to do.
 
I'm trying to get an idea of what kinds of analyses exist for this type
of thing. Two occurred to me:
 
(1)                 The infinitive is acting as a kind of subject
complement, roughly equivalent to a predicate adjective.
(2)                 "BE to be" is a quasi-modal, like "going to."
 
The analysis of B is going to depend on how one deals with existential
constructions in general - whether its [ [there] [is] [work [to be
done]] ] or 
[ [there] [is] [work] [to be done] ]. I'm not sure what to do with "to
do" working better in B than in A - it doesn't sound right to me in A,
but I'm not sure my reaction is generalizable. 
 
Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated! 
 
Bill Spruiell
Dept. of English
Central Michigan University
 
 

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