Infinitives

What is an Infinitive?

An infinitive is a verbal phrase composed of the preposition to and a verb that functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb. The term verbal indicates that, like the other two types of verbal, an infinitive is founded on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being.

What is an infinitive phrase?

An Infinitive Phrase consists of an infinitive and the modifier(s) and (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that serve as the actor(s), direct object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed by the infinitive.

What are the types of Infinitives?

There are two primary infinitive forms. First, full infinitives, also called to-infinitives, are used before a verb’s root form. The second type of infinitive is bare infinitives, also known as zero infinitives, which use the verb’s root form without to.

Give some examples of Infinitives.

There’s too much sugar to put in this bowl.
This soup is too hot to eat.
He arrived too late to see the actors.
She’s old enough to make up her mind.

How do you use Infinitives in a sentence?

The infinitive (‘to’ + the simple verb form) is essential for identifying an infinitive phrase. Unless the infinitive phrase is located at the beginning of the sentence, it begins with to and ends at the end.

What are the different kinds of Infinitives?

There are four additional infinitive forms: the perfect infinitive, the continuous infinitive, the perfect continuous infinitive, and the passive infinitive. These are formed by combining various verb tenses with auxiliaries following the preposition to.



Infinitives – Meaning, Definition, Types, How to Use, Examples

An Infinitive is a word form that can be used as a name, a term, or a phrase. They can help you talk about actions without actually doing them. Most of the time, infinitives are made by putting the phrase before the basic word. Regular and irregular verbs, auxiliary verbs, linking verbs, passive and active verbs, and many other types of verbs are all used in the English language.

Even though an infinitive has a verb, it can’t be used as a verb. Since they can’t show mood independently, words with them must also include a limited main verb. Learn more about the definition, types, and sentence usage of infinitives by reading the article.

What is Infinitive, and How do You Use Them?

Table of Content

  • What are Infinitives?
  • What are the Types of Infinitives?
  • Full Infinitives
  • Bare Infinitives
  • Infinitives vs. Prepositional Phrases
  • Infinitives vs. Gerunds
  • What is an Infinitive Phrase?
  • How to Use Infinitives in a Sentence?
  • Identify the Infinitives in a Sentence
  • Examples of Infinitives
  • Conclusion on Infinitives
  • Practice Questions on Infinitives
  • FAQs on Infinitives

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What are Infinitives?

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What are the Types of Infinitives?

The infinitive is the root form of a word. When speaking English, we usually mean the present infinitive when we talk about the it. They used to talk about actions in general rather than a particular case of the action being performed. When “to” is used with a verb as an adjective, an adverb, or a word, the verb stays in its basic form. Some verbs need to be followed by infinitives to give the full picture of what the sentence is trying to say....

Full Infinitives

Infinitives can be divided into two categories. The two types of infinitives are full and bare infinitives....

Bare Infinitives

The most frequent infinitives used in writing are full infinitives, referred to as to-infinitives. When the infinitive verb signature “to” is present in front of the word that completes an infinitive, as opposed to when it is absent, the circumstance is referred to as a full infinitive. By taking a verb’s basic form and adding to it, you can turn it into a complete participle....

Infinitives vs. Prepositional Phrases

When the infinitive marker “to” is removed from phrases, the result is a bare infinitive. A few basic verbs, such as create, let, assist, perceive, etc., permit the absence of the infinitive signature “to” in a phrase....

Infinitives vs. Gerunds

The word “to” and a verb make up an infinitive, which can be used as a name, an adjective, or an adverb. Don’t get an infinitive and a prepositional word that starts with “to” mixed up. Prepositional sentences comprise the word “to” and a name, verb, or adjective....

What is an Infinitive Phrase?

An infinitive is the basic form of a verb that is preceded by “to,” whereas a gerund is a verb form that terminates in “-ing” and is used as a word (e.g., strolling, journeying, voting). (to walk, to travel, to vote)....

How to Use Infinitives in a Sentence?

A collection of words known as an infinitive phrase begins with an infinitive. Various modifications, such as names, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions, then follow it. The infinitive sentence can serve as an expression, an adjective, or a word, just like an infinitive....

Identify the Infinitives in a Sentence

Sometimes, the infinitive form of a word is used as a name instead of a verb. This is done by making the participle the subject or goal of the sentence. You can also use the word by putting “to” instead of a common phrase like “in order to.” This would be done to show that the word in question means something....

Examples of Infinitives

The term to is typically used before an infinitive, a basic verb form that can be used as a title, adjective, or phrase. Sentences with an infinitive describe activities. To + Verb creates an infinitive, which includes verbs like consume, sprint, stroll, clothe, scream, and more. A phrase or term that modifies the meaning of other words in a statement is known as a modulator....

Conclusion on Infinitives

The following are few examples of infinitives:...

Practice Questions on Infinitives

A word form known as an infinitive can be used as a name, adjective, or phrase. They are frequently created by adding the term to the front of the basic action. Although an infinitive’s base form is a verb, infinitives can also be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in sentences. They are useful when you want to talk about a broad deed rather than a particular instance....

FAQs on Infinitives

The following are some practice questions on infinitives:...