[A] El infinitivo puede usarse después de the first, the second etc., the last, the only y algunas veces después de superlativos:
- He loves parties; he is always the first to come and the last to leave. (The first who comes and the last who leaves)
- She was the only one to survive the crash. (the only one who survived)
Los infinitivos usados de esta manera reemplazan a un pronombre sujeto + verbo. Comparar con el infinitivo usado para reemplazar un pronombre objeto + verbo como en [B] abajo.
Notar que el infinitivo aquí tiene un significado activo. Cuando se requiere un significado pasivo se usa un infinitivo pasivo:
- He is the second man to be killed in this way. (the second man who was killed)
- the best play to be performed that year (the best play that was performed that year)
Comparar esto con:
- the best play to perform (the best play for you to perform/the play you should perform)
[B 1] El infinitivo puede colocarse después de nombres/pronombres para mostrar cómo pueden usarse o qué se debe hacer con ellos, o a veces para expresar los deseos del sujeto:
- I have letters to write. (that I must write)
- Does he get enough to eat?
- Have you anything to say? (that you want to say)
- AT THE CUSTOMS: I have nothing to declare. (that I need to declare)
- a house to let (a house that the owner wants to let)
Igualmente con infinitivos + preposiciones:
- someone to talk to.
- a case to keep my records in.
- cushions to sit on.
- a glass to drink out of.
- a tool to open it with.
- a table to write on.
[B 2] Uso del infinitivo pasivo
- There is plenty to do =
(a) plenty of things we can do, i.e. amusements, o bien
(b) plenty of work we must do.
En la construcción there + be + nombre/pronombre + infinitivo, cuando existe una idea de deber, como en (b) arriba, un infinitivo pasivo es posible:
- There is a lot to be done.
Pero el infinitivo activo es más usual.
A Practical English Grammar (A.J. Thomson & A.V. Martinet) 