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When we use *to-*infinitive verbs after preceding verbs, is it possible to use *to-*infinitives with linking verbs?
- That thief was to deserve the punishment.
- She is to be learning English.
- She was to have gone to her apartment.
- He will to have been attempting to code the program.
a to infinitive is not actually a verb. It is a noun made from a verb, just like a gerund. As complements they function as objects. With link verbs you have only two complement options - an adjective or a noun phrase (gerunds are ok) but almost never infinitives. Your first sentence could be written "The thief was deserving of the punishment." Your other sentences do not contain infinitives.
Ubu English is broadly correct.
"That thief was to deserve the punishment" should be "That (or prolly, the) thief deserved the punishment"
"She is to be learning English" should be, at worst, "She is to learn English"… and please note, your original "She is to be learning English" would be wholly acceptable in Indian English…
"She was to have gone to her apartment" is wholly acceptable.
"He will to have been attempting (anything)…" is wrong, because of the pointless "to".
"He will have been attempting (anything)…" is grammatically acceptable, but what did you think that actually meant?
Can you explain how that's different from "He attempted… was/had been/would have been attempting (anything)…"?
