/ (To) have /Past Par./
[Footnote 5: _To_, as indicated by the (), is not treated as a part of the
verb. Writers on language are generally agreed that when _to_ introduces an
infinitive phrase used as an adjective or an adverb, it performs its proper
function as a preposition, meaning _toward_, _for_, etc.; as, I am inclined
_to_ believe; I came _to_ hear. When the infinitive phrase is used as a
noun, the _to_ expresses no relation; it seems merely to introduce the
phrase. When a word loses its proper function without taking on the
function of some other part of speech, we do not see why it should change
its name. In the expressions, _For_ me to do this would be wrong; _Over_
the fence is out of danger, few grammarians would hesitate to call _for_
and _over_ prepositions, though they have no antecedent term of relation.
We cannot see that _to_ is a part of the verb, for it in no way affects the
meaning, as does an auxiliary, or as does the to in He was spoken to. Those
who call it a part of the verb confuse the learner by speaking of it as the
"preposition _to_" (which, as they have said, is not a preposition) "placed
before the infinitive," _i.e._, placed before that of which it forms a part
--placed before itself.
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