有一读者问： 有这样四个句子：
(1)He seldoms goes back home except to ask for money from his parents.
(2)He did nothing there except watch TV for the whole night.
(3)I had no choice but to stay in bed.
(4)Last night I did nothing but prepare my lessons.
我搞不懂except和but之后何时接to何时不接to。
but与except后的不定式是否省去to，大致有三种情况：
第一种情况：其前的谓语动词为do时，可不用to，如上述句（2）和（4）。（用to也不为错）
第二种情况：其前的谓语动词不是do，则一般须用to,如上述句（1）和（3）。
第三种情况：其前为there is nothing to do，则可用可不用to，如：
(5)There is nothing to do but （to）fight it out.
33“find+宾语”后的不定式是否带 to？
有一读者来信问这样一个句子：
(1)He found himself fall behind the others after he came back from Britain.
这里动词 find 之后的宾语补足语用了不带 to 的不定式，它是否亦可后接“宾语+带to的不定式”呢？像 find 一类的动词还有哪些？它们各自的用法如何？
这个问题提得很好，有一定的普遍性。所以我们愿意在里探讨一下。
这实际上是一个有关“动词+宾语+不定式”结构的问题。对多数动词来说，其后的宾语补足语一般皆用带 to 的不定式，如ask，get,want,cause, force, like,press, declare, tell, allow 等，实例如：
(2)We asked Kate to sing .
(3)You'll never get me to agree .
(4)Do you want me to stay ?
(5)The noise caused me to jump back.
但有少数动词一般须后接“宾语+不带 to 的不定式”。这种动词可分为两类：一类是感觉动词，常见的有 feel, hear, notice, observe, perceive, see, watch 等，实例如：
(6)I felt my heart beat violently.
(7)I heard somebody cry .
(8)Did you notice anyone come in?
(9)He pretended not to observe her do it.
(10)I saw him enter the room.
(11)I watched the sun rise .
值得注意的是，在高雅的英语中，亦有人用带 to 的不定式，只是较为少见而已，实例如：
(12)They were reminded of their personal sorrows; and perhaps felt themselves to share in a sorrow that was universal.
(13)I observed the noise and the flutter of wings to increase very fast.
(14)Vernole could perceive anon the door to open .
此时动词 see 后接“宾语+带 to 的不定式”的情况似乎稍多一些，如：
(15)He sees your best luck to come .
(16)I saw her corral lips to move .
尤其当 see 意指“认为，理解”时，如：
(17)I see this to be true.
(18)We may see them both to be cases of one uniform law of causation.
上述两句中皆出现了 to be。其实在其他情况下 to be （不省去 to）也常用作宾语补足语，再如：
(19)Soames noted his dress clothes to be well cut.
(20)Why had she not gone to her own room, as she had felt to be the safest.（as 在此是关系代词，用作 felt 的宾语）
另一类是使役动词，如let, make, have 等，实例如：
(21)Let me see .
(22)I made him go .
(23)Have him come early.
have 作“允许”与“经历”解时亦常后接“宾语+不带 to 的不定式”，实例如：
(24)I won't have you say such things.（have 作“允许”解）
(25)Sometimes on a morning I have a dozen people call on me.（have 作“经历”解）
这一类动词同样也有少数时候后接“宾语+带 to 的不定式”的情况，如：
(26)“Let the chairwoman alone to be the first!”cried she who had entered first.
(27)Mr. Rochester would have me to come in.
动词 make 后接“宾语+带 to 的不定式”的情况要稍多一些，如：
(28)Money can make a mare to go .
(29)He was uneasy with a sense of having made himself to appear stupid.
(30)Your master has to be stronger than you are —has to tell you you are a fool and make you to know it.
(31)He cannot be thus circumstanced without a shudder that makes the very marrow in his bones to quiver in him like a shaken jelly.（这里用 to quiver 可能是由于距离 makes 较远的缘故）
除上述两类常后接“宾语+不带 to 的不定式”的动词外，还有一类动词既可后接“宾语+不带 to 的不定式”，亦可后接“宾语+带 to 的不定式”。这种动词常见的有 help， know, find 等等。关于 help 和 know 已讨论过，这里就恕不赘述了。动词 find 亦可后接“宾语+不带 to 的不定式”或“宾语+带 to 的不定式”，但似乎多后接“宾语+不带 to 的不定式”，上述句（1）即是一例，再如：
(32)I found it pay .
(33)You'll find the lock go the better for a little oil.
(34)I find the King's English express my meaning better.
(35)She found the interest of the subject increase .
但其后接“宾语+带 to 的不定式”的情况也不罕见，实例如：
(36)I found this plan to tell through life.
(37)The next annoyance that we had was a very bad smell, which we found to proceed from the drains.
但其后如接的是“宾语+to be”，to be 中的 to 一般不可省去，如：
(38)I measured the tail of the dead rat, and found it to be two yards long.
(39)This ordinary fellow is so enchanting that those who meet and talk to him immediately find him to be a comforting fire, which warms everyone approaching it.
此外，动词 bid 和 leave （允许）亦可后接“宾语+不带 to 的不定式”或“宾语+带 to 的不定式”，实例如：
(40)He bade the servant call the boy into the room.
(41)He bade them (to)leave at once.
(42)Leave me go , will you?
(43)Leave him to do as he likes.
最后，应该指出，上述感觉动词、使役动词以及 help, know, find 等后接的用作宾语补足语的不带 to 的不定式一般多表动态（动作或事件）；如表静态，则用带 to 的不定式，如上述句（17）、（18）、（19）、（20），或用其他句型，如：
(44)I saw that he was very pale.
关于这个问题就写到这里吧。
