Adjective + to-infinitive

Many adjectives can be followed by to + base form to say what an action is like, or how you feel about it. There are five main patterns:

💡Don't leave out the empty subject it. English sentences need a subject: It's difficult to learn English (not: Is difficult to learn English).

1. It's + adjective + to + verb — giving an opinion about an action: easy, hard, difficult, important, necessary, possible, safe, dangerous, nice, great, expensive…

• It's important to drink enough water in hot weather.

• It isn't easy to find a cheap flat in Hanoi.

• It was great to see you last weekend!

You can also use an -ing subject instead of it. The meaning is the same, but the it version sounds more natural in speech: Finding a cheap flat isn't easy.

2. Adding who does it: for + person + to + verb

• It's hard for me to understand his accent.

• It's normal for babies to wake up at night.

3. Judging someone's behaviour: It's + adjective + of + person + to + verb — kind, nice, good, generous, thoughtful, silly, careless, rude…

• It's very kind of you to help me.

• It was silly of me to leave my phone in the taxi.

4. Person + feeling adjective + to + verb — how someone reacts to something: happy, glad, pleased, sorry, surprised, shocked, relieved, lucky, proud, disappointed…

• Nice to meet you.

• I'm sorry to hear that you're ill.

• I was surprised to see Hung at the party.

• We were lucky to get the last two tickets.

5. Person + attitude adjective + to + verb — ready, unwilling, careful…: ready, willing, happy (= willing), keen, afraid, careful, quick, slow…

• I'm ready to go.

• I'm happy to help if you need anything.

• Be careful not to drop it.

  negative: not to + verb

6. Thing + be + adjective + to + verb — how easy, hard… it is to do something with it. The subject is really the object of the verb, so do not add it/them at the end.

• This book is easy to read.

  not: easy to read it

• His handwriting is hard to read.

Afraid: afraid to + verb = too scared to do something on purpose (I was afraid to ask); afraid of + -ing = scared that something might happen (I'm afraid of falling). The two often overlap in speech, but afraid + -ing without of is wrong. I'm afraid (that)… is a polite way to give bad news — see “Spoken sentence frames”.

Sorry: sorry to + verb for something happening now or news you just heard (Sorry to bother you. / Sorry to hear that.); sorry for + -ing or sorry (that) + clause for something you did (Sorry for shouting.).

• too + adjective + to + verb = so much that you can't: It's too hot to sleep. See the lesson “Too … to / enough to”.
• adjective + enough + to + verb = as much as needed: She's old enough to drive.
• the first / the last / the only (+ noun) + to + verb = the first, last or only one who does something: Lan was the first person to arrive. / He's the only one to pass the test.

• The tea is too hot to drink.

• Is your son old enough to ride a motorbike?

• She was the last to leave the office.

• ✗Is difficult to learn English.

  ✓It's difficult to learn English.

  English needs the empty subject it.

• ✗It's hard for me understand his accent.

  ✓It's hard for me to understand his accent.

  After for + person you still need to + verb.

• ✗I'm ready for go now.

  ✓I'm ready to go now.

  Ready + to + verb; for is only for nouns (ready for dinner).

• ✗It's dangerous to driving at night.

  ✓It's dangerous to drive at night.

  After to comes the base form.

• ✗It's very kind for you to help me.

  ✓It's very kind of you to help me.

  Praising someone's behaviour → of.

• ✗This question is easy to answer it.

  ✓This question is easy to answer.

  The subject is already the object; don't repeat it.