Infinitives

• Infinitives

  The base form of a verb.
• Infinitives used as verbs follow certain auxillaries.

  e.g., to be able + to see
• Certain words require an infinitive usage after them and can be preceded by a noun or pronoun object.

  e.g., Did you ask Tim to sign up for the same class?
• Infinitives can be used as nouns adjectives and adverbs.
• Infinitives as the subject of a sentence syntax

  Subject infinitive + verb + complement

  
  

  e.g., To become rich is my life goal.
• Infinitives can appear as direct objects

  e.g., She loved to write poetry.
• Some auxillaries are followed by an infinitive that does not include the particle word to.

  e.g., He must run | Can you help lift the soda
• Infinitives can function as a predicate nominative.

  e.g., Her first duty was to protect her children.
• An appositive sits next to the noun it modifies to rename or describe it in a different way.
• Where can an infitive phrase used as an appositive appear?

  After the word or phrase it modifies or at the end of the sentence beginning with an impersonal it.

  
  

  e.g., It hurts me a lot to see her with another man.
• Delayed appositive


  Describes the impersonal subject, it, of a sentence .

  
  

  e.g., It seemed naive to hope for peace at this time.
• An infinitive is used as an adjective when modifying a noun or pronoun.

  
  

  e.g., Jill is the only girl in our class to remain single (modifies girl)
• An infinitive as an adverb answers the question why?

  e.g., Jonathan came to help with our move into the new apartment.
• It is possible for gerunds and infinitives to replace each other.

  
  

  e.g., I love to swim in a cool lake. I love swimming in a cool lake.
• Infinitives tend to focus on the concept or the general preference of doing something.

  
  

  I like to hike vs I like hiking