He was the first to arrive.
请问句中的不定式是表示什么时间意义?
目前？过去？以后？
先于主句还是晚于主句？
当谓语是目前时或过去时的时候，不定式的动作是谓语时间之前已经发生过的。这从不定式改为定语从句作定语，从句要用完成时态就能看出。比如：
He was the first to come.= He was the first that/who had come.
He is the first to buy this kind of car.= He is the first that/who has bought this kind of car.
假如be是以后时will be, 则不定式的动作还没发生（在说话时没发生）。有人觉得不定式的动作不是谓语时间之前的。这种理解是把谓语时间视为目前了。严格讲，谓语时间也是以后，即计算哪个是1、哪个是第二的那个以后时间。那样从这个意义上讲，不定式的动作还是谓语时间（以后的某个时候）之间发生的动作。比如：
If he buys this car next week, he will be the first to do so.= he will be the first to have done so. = he will be the first who has done so.
