VERBALS - Infinitives

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Letitia Hubbard
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1 VERBALS - Infinitives A. Infinitives consist of "to" plus a verb. Example: I like to run and to jump. Do not confuse infinitives with prepositional phrases which consist of "to" plus a noun. Example: I went to the store. not an infinitive because store is a noun, not a verb. Exercise A Underline the infinitives in the following sentences: 1. I intend to go. 2. We tried to open the door. 3. I am going to school. 4. I learned to type at night school. 5. I promised to go with him to the dance. B. Infinitives may function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Examples: Noun To intervene would be useless. (subject of would be) I tried to move. (object of tried) His first impulse was to run. (subjective complement) Adjective Adverb He had a garage to rent (modfies the noun garage) Everyone turned to stare. (modifies the verb turned, tells why)

3. I am going to school. 4. I learned to type at night school. 5. I promised to go with him to the dance. B. Infinitives may function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

2 Are you ready to start? (modifies the adjective ready) Exercise B Underline the infinitives in the following sentences. Tell in the blank whether they function as nouns, adjectives or adverbs. 1. To complain is absolutely useless. 2. I have a bone to pick with you! 3. We all started to run after the thief. 4. Mike was eager to begin his studies. 5. The explorers had one more river to cross. 6. My main objective is to finish. 7. Mary and Joan helped to clean. 8. They all clamored to leave. 9. To advance is very difficult. 10. The children ran to help. C. Infinitives can have modifiers and/or objects. The infinitive plus its modifiers and/or object form an infinitive phrase. Examples: He refused to work fast. fast modifies the infinitive to work. to work fast infinitive phrase. He wanted to know your name. your name object of the infinitive to know to know your name infinitive phrase Exercise C

My main objective is to finish. 7. Mary and Joan helped to clean. 8. They all clamored to leave. 9. To advance is very difficult. 10. The children ran to help. C.

3 Underline the infinitive phrases in the following sentences: 1. He told me to go home. 2. I needed to work more efficiently. 3. Ruth was so glad to hear his voice. 4. George asked to borrow John s bicycle. 5. We want to sit here. D. Infinitive phrases can be used as nouns (either subjects, complements or objects), as adverbs or as adjectives. Examples: 1. To run daily is healthy. Infinitive phrase used as subject of the verb is. 2. They wanted to change horses in mid-stream. Infinitive phrase used as object of the verb wanted. 3. She danced to win the prize. Infinitive phrase used as adverb, modifying verb danced. 4. Her idea to deliver the package was encouraged by her mother. Infinitive phrase used as adjective, modifying noun idea. Exercise D Underline the infinitive phrases in the following sentences. In the answer column at the right indicate whether they are used as nouns, adjectives or adverbs. If they are used as nouns, indicate if they are subjects, complements or objects. If they are used as adjectives or adverbs, name the words that they modify. The first two are done for you. 1. To forget is easy. noun subject

To run daily is healthy. Infinitive phrase used as subject of the verb is. 2. They wanted to change horses in mid-stream. Infinitive phrase used as object of the verb wanted. 3.

4 2. His decision to do his best was a fortunate one adjective modifying "decision" 3. Her attempt to appear older was quite funny. 4. Many students pretend to fall asleep. 5. Todd seldom played to lose. 6. Steve Johnson lives to sleep. 7. His brother, however, sleeps to live. 8. Some quotations will continue to live for centuries. 9. To lead a horse to water is easy. 10 Clark failed to acquire the glamour of Trudeau. 11. To be rich is important to some people. 12. To pretend is childish. 13. The true pleasure of life is to live with your friends. 14. Our policy to do our duty is a good one. 15. It is difficult to write a song. 16. He planned to win the contest. 17. The ideas to equip the entire team was put forward by the coach. 18. Many countries fight to keep their freedom. 19. Ella s concern to do right is well known. 20. To change horses in the middle of a stream is a dangerous thing.

10 Clark failed to acquire the glamour of Trudeau. 11. To be rich is important to some people. 12. To pretend is childish. 13. The true pleasure of life is to live with your friends. 14.

5 21. He wanted to give all his money to charity. 22. Their plans to receive presents were unbelievable. 23. Her desire to share a ride became known to us. 24. To bake a cake needs careful planning. 25. His manager was to leave Edmonton the next day. E. In some cases the word to is omitted from an infinitive. Then the infinitive is called a root infinitive. Examples: He does nothing but read. (to read) I have seen him do that. (to do) He bade us enter. (to enter) You need not leave so soon. (to leave) Exercise E Underline the root infinitives in the following sentences. 1. He made me show him where the treasure was hidden. 2. We heard the burglar open the window. 3. They let us join in the game. 4. Then we saw him walk quickly upstairs. 5. We watched the clouds drift by. F. An infinitive can be used in a perfect tense to express a time prior to the main verb. The word have is used between to and the verb.

(to read) I have seen him do that. (to do) He bade us enter. (to enter) You need not leave so soon. (to leave) Exercise E Underline the root infinitives in the following sentences. 1.

6 Example: Larry says he is sorry to have caused so much trouble yesterday. The "causing" happened before the "being sorry". Exercise F Underline the appropriate tense of the infinitive. 1. They phoned (to visit, to have visited) Quebec this year. 2. We did not expect (to be stopped, to have been stopped) at the border. 3. They are lucky (to find, to have found) that house of Cliff Street. 4. The waiter is proud (to serve, to have served) the queen during her last state visit. 5. We intended (to visit, to have visited) them on the way home. Exercise G Rewrite the following sentences using an infinitive instead of the italicized words. 1. I like a walk along the sea-shore. 2. The shipwrecked sailors were overjoyed at the sight of land. 3. Truthfulness is sometimes more difficult than winning a battle. 4. I was glad at the sound of his voice. 5. I should be sorry if I heard that you couldn t do this exercise. 6. Richard was told that he must not touch the cakes.

They are lucky (to find, to have found) that house of Cliff Street. 4. The waiter is proud (to serve, to have served) the queen during her last state visit. 5.

7 7. Mr. Brown asked if he could see the principal. 8. I was very sorry when I heard that you had had an accident. 9. John said that he did not expect that he would succeed. 10. George asked if he could borrow Bill s bicycle. ANSWER KEY Words that were to be underlined in the exercises are shown italicized. Exercise A Exercise B 1. to go 1. To complain noun 2. to open 2. to pick adjective 3. no infinitive (school is a noun, not a verb 3. to run noun 4. to type 4. to begin adverb 5. to go (to the dance is not an infinitive dance is a noun) 5. to cross adjective 6. to finish noun 7. to clean noun 8. to leave adverb 9. to advance noun 10. to help -

ANSWER KEY Words that were to be underlined in the exercises are shown italicized. Exercise A Exercise B 1. to go 1. To complain noun 2. to open 2.

8 adverb Exercise C 1. to go home 2. to work more efficiently 3. to hear his voice 4. to borrow John s bicycle 5. to sit here Exercise D 3. to appear older adjective modifying "attempt" 4. to fall asleep noun object 5. to lose adverb modifying "played" 6. to sleep adverb modifying "lives" 7. to live adverb modifying "sleeps" 8. to live for centuries noun object of "will continue" 9. To lead a horse noun subject 10. to acquire the glamour noun object 11. To be rich noun subject 12. To pretend noun subject 13. To live with your friends noun complement 14. to do our duty adjective modifying "policy" 15. to write a song adverb modifying "difficult" 16. to win the contest noun object 17. to equip the entire team adjective modifying "idea" 18. to keep their freedom adverb modifying "fight"

To lead a horse noun subject 10. to acquire the glamour noun object 11. To be rich noun subject 12. To pretend noun subject 13. To live with your friends noun complement 14.

9 19. to do right - adjective modifying "concern" 20. To change horses in the middle of a stream noun subject 21. to give all his money to charity noun object 22. to receive presents adjective modifying "plans" 23. to share a ride adjective modifying "desire" 24. To bake a cake noun subject 25 to leave Edmonton noun complement Exercise E Exercise F 1. show 1. to visit 2. join 2. to be stopped 3. open 3. to have found 4. walk 4. to have served 5. drift 5. to visit Exercise G 1. I like to walk along the sea-shore. 2. The shipwrecked sailors were overjoyed to see land. 3. To tell the truth is sometimes more difficult than to win a battle. 4. I was glad to hear his voice. 5. I should be sorry to hear that you couldn't do this exercise. 6. Richard was told not to touch the cakes. 7. Mr. Brown asked to see the principal. 8. I was very sorry to hear that you had an accident. 9. John said that he did not expect to succeed.

to visit 2. join 2. to be stopped 3. open 3. to have found 4. walk 4. to have served 5. drift 5. to visit Exercise G 1. I like to walk along the sea-shore. 2. The shipwrecked sailors were overjoyed to see land.

10 10. George asked to borrow Bill's bicycle.

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