5 Uses of Infinitives

5 Uses of Infinitives 5 Uses of Infinitives 5 Uses of Infinitives By Mark Nichol An infinitive is a phrase, consisting of the word to and the basic form of a verb, that functions as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Here’s a discussion of the five types of infinitives. 1. Subject An infinitive can constitute the subject of a sentence. For example, in â€Å"To go, even after all that trouble, didn’t seem worthwhile anymore,† â€Å"to go† is the action that drives the sentence. 2. Direct Object In the sentence â€Å"We all want to see,† â€Å"to see† is the direct object, the noun (or noun substitute) that receives the action of the verb. â€Å"To see† refers to a thing being done or, in this case, desired to be done: the act of seeing. 3. Subject Complement In â€Å"My goal is to write,† â€Å"to write† is the subject complement. A subject complement looks just like a direct object, but the difference is in the type of verb preceding it. The verb in the previous example, want, is a transitive verb. (Transitive verbs have two defining characteristics: They precede a direct object, and they express an action.) In â€Å"My goal is to write,† the verb is a copular, or linking, verb one that links a subject to a word or phrase that complements it. (In this sentence, â€Å"to write† is the goal, so it’s the complement of goal. Note that in the previous example, â€Å"to see† is what those referred to as we want, but it’s not the complement of we.) 4. Adjective In â€Å"She didn’t have permission to go,† â€Å"to go† modifies permission it describes what type of permission is being discussed so the phrase serves as an adjective. 5. Adverb In â€Å"He took the psychology class to try to understand human behavior,† â€Å"to understand (human behavior)† explains why the taking of the class occurred, so it’s an adverb modifying the verb took. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?Rules for Capitalization in Titles20 Criminal Terms You Should Know