有一读者问这样一句话：
(1)I feel it a great honour to be asked to speak at the meeting before so many students.
不定式表将来，可是这里的to be asked表什么时间呢？ 说话人说此话时已站在讲台上，这个不定式还会表将来吗？
不定式确实可以表将来，如：
(2)I hope to come .
(3)I'd like to go swimming today.
(4)He is sure to get there in time.
如将上述三句改作间接引语，to come, to go和to get即变为表过去将来的不定式。但请注意不定式亦可表现在和过去。表现在如：
(5)It has nothing to do with me.
(6)There isn't a girl in London to beat her.
(7)She is not the kind of girl to encourage lovers.
不定式亦可表过去，如：
(8)It did him good to take long walks.
(9)He has been known to write a lot of detective stories.
(10)He was always the first to come and the last to leave the office.
不定式还常可表经常或客观事实或真理，无时间概念，如：
(11)To see is to believe .
(12)There are always plenty of people to believe this nonsense.
(13)The man to consult is Wilson.
上述句（1）中的to be asked显然表一客观事实。
