make sentences

Understanding

The

Infinitive

An infinitive is to plus the base form (bf) of a verb. Infinitives and infinitive phrases often perform the same functions as nouns. They are frequently used to represent ideas or concepts:

1. Infinitives can act as subjects:

To understand someone you must walk in his or her shoes.

2. Infinitives can act as objects:

I would like to visit Rome at least once before I die.

3. Infinitives can act as subject complements:

A teacher’s job is to create a desire to learn.

4. Certain verbs are followed only by infinitives or infinitive complexes: (see list)

a. Verb followed by an infinitive:

I learned to ski while I was living in Switzerland.

b. Verb followed by a noun or pronoun + infinitive:

I warned Louisa to be careful on the safari.

I told her not* to pet the lions.

c. Verb followed by an optional noun or pronoun + infinitive

We expected her to listen to our warning, but she didn’t.

5. Certain adjectives can be followed by infinitives. These adjectives usually describe people, not things, and they often express feelings about the action described in the infinitive: (see list)

a. Louisa is reluctant to follow other’s advice.

b. I was amazed to hear that she survived the lion’s attack.

6. To make an infinitive negative, just put not before the to:

I asked her not to tell anyone about my promotion.

I am beginning not to trust my instincts.

7. A noun is often followed by an infinitive. When this occurs, the infinitive gives more information about the noun. A noun + infinitive often expresses advisability or necessity:

Bucaramanga is a great place to escape from Bogota for a few days.

Compassion and humility are noble traits to have .

A command of basic geometry is good thing to know .

8. The words too, enough, and it are often used in infinitive complexes and phrases.

a. It + an infinitive phrase is used most often as a subject:

It’s important to take careful notes in class.

It’s always a good idea to have a duplicate bankcard.

Sometimes we add for + noun/pronoun to say who are what does the action:

It’s important for everyone to know his or her blood type.

It’s never a good idea for anyone who is inexperienced to pet a lion.

b. Enough+infinitive is used after adjective/adverb:

We all thought that he was smart enough to pass the bar exam.

Louisa did not run fast enough to escape from the lion.

c. Enough can be used before a noun+infinitive:

There is not enough money to finish the final stage of the project.

We don’t have enough time to visit the pyramids.

d. Enough is sometimes used after the noun in formal usage:

There is not money enough to finish the final stage of the project.

e. Too +adjective/adverb+infinitive is used to imply a negative result:

Louisa was too stubborn to listen to our advice.

We arrived too late to catch the connecting flight to Jeddah.

9. Infinitives can occur in the past form to show an action that occurred before the action of the main verb in the sentence. We form a past infinitive with to+have+past participle:

I seem to have forgotten how to spell almost everything in English!

I expected you to have paid the bill by now.

A tornado appears to have hit this apartment!

10. Infinitives can also appear in the present passive and past passive form:

a. In the present passive, use to+be or get+ past participle:

My paper is supposed to be finished tomorrow, but I haven’t started.

This computer is never to be used without my permission.

b. To form the past passive, use to+have+been+past participle:

The work wa s to have been finished long before now.

The assembly appeared not to have been informed of the last vote.

Notes:

1. Don’t confuse the infinitive to with to used as a preposition. The infinitive to is followed by the base form (bf) of the verb. To when it is used as a preposition is followed by a gerund, regular noun, or pronoun.

2. In informal English, such as in conversations, sometimes we split an infinitive; that is, we place a word between to and the base form of the verb:

It’s not a good idea to unexpectedly show up at your boyfriend’s apartment.

3. For more formal contexts, place the word before or after the infinitive.

Students who are registered for the exam are required to arrive promptly .