English

Practical English Grammar


the infinitive and infinitive phrase


➲The third type of verbal, in addition to the participle and the gerund,
is the infinitive. An infinitive is composed of the word to plus a verb.
Examples of the infinitive include to remember, to cuddle, to pacify,
and to yodel.
Infinitives can function as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.

To succeed is Ted’s goal. (noun—subject of the sentence)
Franklin’s goal was to succeed. (noun—predicate nominative)
Melissa wanted to succeed. (noun—direct object)
Kelly has the drive to succeed. (adjective—Which drive? the drive
to succeed)
Kelly will endeavor to succeed. (adverb—How will Kelly endeavor?
to succeed)

➲ An infinitive phrase is composed of the infinitive, its modifiers (or
describers), and all the other words that are needed to complete the idea
begun by the infinitive.

To stay up later was the child’s wish. (noun—subject)
Lorene desired to be a doctor. (noun—direct object)
My cousin’s goal was to make the New York Yankees. (noun—
predicate nominative)
Henry’s ultimate goal was to make other people happy. (noun—
predicate nominative)
The musical to see is Oklahoma! (adjective—Which musical?
Oklahoma!)
The strong lifeguard swam out to save the struggling swimmer.
(adverb—Why did the lifeguard swim out? to save the struggling
swimmer)

--- >>>

Notes


Practical English Grammar - Notes
1. compound subjects part two
Show Notes
2. Quotation Marks Part Three
Show Notes
3. Italics Hyphens and Brackets
Show Notes
4. complete and simple subjects
Show Notes
5. Sound a like words Part Four
Show Notes
6. Commas Part Two
Show Notes
7. the adjective clause
Show Notes
8. what good writers do
Show Notes
9. The Apostrophe
Show Notes
10. the indirect object
Show Notes
11. Periods Question Marks and Exclamation Marks
Show Notes
12. subject and verb agreement
Show Notes
13. Confusing usage words part five
Show Notes
14. Commas Part Four
Show Notes
15. The coordinating conjunction
Show Notes
16. the object of the preposition
Show Notes
17. Confusing usage words part three
Show Notes
18. Quotation Marks Part Two
Show Notes
19. First Capitalization List
Show Notes
20. compound subjects part one
Show Notes
21. Confusing usage words part one
Show Notes
22. Confusing usage words part three
Show Notes
23. Quotation Marks Part One
Show Notes
24. complex sentences
Show Notes
25. Transitive and intransitive verbs
Show Notes
26. subject verb agreement situations
Show Notes
27. introducing phrases
Show Notes
28. the prepositional phrase
Show Notes
29. the participle and participial phrase
Show Notes
30. agreement involving prepositional phrases
Show Notes
31. pronouns and their antecedents
Show Notes
32. the verb phrase
Show Notes
33. types of nouns
Show Notes
34. Regular Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
Show Notes
35. Commas Part One
Show Notes
36. agreement between indefinite pronouns and their antecedents
Show Notes
37. the subordinating conjunction
Show Notes
38. complete and simple predicates
Show Notes
39. compound subject and compound predicate
Show Notes
40. personal pronouns
Show Notes
41. The nominative case
Show Notes
42. Confusing usage words part eight
Show Notes
43. Parentheses Ellipsis Marks and Dashes
Show Notes
44. The verb be
Show Notes
45. regular verb tenses
Show Notes
46. types of sentences by purpose
Show Notes
47. the correlative conjunction
Show Notes
48. subject complements predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives
Show Notes
49. the noun adjective pronoun question
Show Notes
50. the gerund and gerund phrase
Show Notes