Infinitives

The final verbal…..

 Infinitives
 are verbals which means they are verbs that
act as other parts of speech.

 Remember the other verbals?

– Participles act as ADJECTIVES.
– Gerunds act as NOUNS, which in turn act as
subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, predicate
nominatives, objects of prepositions, and
appositives.
 Infinitives
 act as nouns, adjectives,
and adverbs
 An infinitive is the TO
form of a verb

 The infinitive of run… is TO

RUN
 The infinitive of scream… is
TO SCREAM
 The infinitive of eat… is TO
EAT
 WARNING
 Please note the difference between the following!

 To THE MALL and to swim

 One is an infinitive, and the other is a prepositional

phrase. Do NOT get these confused.

 If “to” is followed by a noun or pronoun, then it is a

prepositional phrase. VERBALS ARE ABOUT VERBS!

 Infinitives as Nouns
Look at the following! First, find the infinitive
that is being used as a noun, and then
determine which role it is playing!
 To err is human.
 To err is human. Subject

 Riff always wanted to act.

 Riff always wanted to act. Direct object
 Infinitives as Adjectives
Like all adjectives, infinitives acting
as adjectives modify NOUNS or
PRONOUNS!

 The candidate to trust is Tony.

 Note that the infinitive is to trust and

that it is modifying or describing
candidate.
 More adjective examples….
 Those are the easiest dogs to train.
 Those are the easiest dogs to train. (note
that to train modifies DOGS.

 He has a great ability to paint.

 He has a great ability to paint. (To paint
modifies ability, which is a noun.)
 Infinitives as Adverbs
 Infinitives also act as adverbs; they must
modify VERBS, ADJECTIVES, or other
ADVERBS.

 They act like adverb prepositional phrases.

 Infinitives as Adverbs
 Consider these examples….

 The team was slow to score.

 To score modifies the word “slow.” Slow is
an adjective.

 My grandmother has come to stay.

 To stay modifies the verb, come.
 Now…. YOU TRY!!!
First, find the infinitive and then
determine how it is functioning in the
sentence!

 We were asked to memorize this poem.

 He was eager to experience college.
 The person to help you is Doc!
 To leave town is relaxing!
 Did you get them right?
 We were asked to memorize this poem.
DO
 He was eager to experience college. Adv.
 The person to help you is Doc! Adj.
 To leave town is relaxing! Subj.