What is an infinitive?
Example:
• The child was trying to slurp his soup.
• Jason braved the cold to pick berries for dessert.
Though infinitives always begin with ’to’ there are exceptions. An infinitive loses ‘to’ when it follows certain verbs like hear, feel, let, make, see and watch.
Example:
• When Rita heard the bell, she rushed to class.
• She made me tidy the room since I had left it in a mess.
There are certain verbs that are only followed by infinitives. They are:
hesitate, offer, promise, want.
Infinitives are often used to answer ‘why’ questions.
For general or habitual actions infinitives in subject position are used.
Example:
• She volunteered to teach the street children.
• I am prepared to face the music.
List of infinitives
Verb + infinitive
Claim choose fail
Appear regret decide
Consent neglect need
Arrange attempt ask
Forget continue afford
Cease agree neglect
Dare start prefer
Forms of infinitives
There are four forms of infinitives.
1. The perfect infinitive
To have+ past participle
Example:
• I would like to have seen the Red Fort when I was in Delhi.
• She pretended to have read the book.
2. The continuous infinitive
To be + present participle
Example:
• They happened to be swimming in the same pool.
• I wouldn’t like to be joking with you.
3. The perfect continuous infinitive
To have been + present participle
Example:
• The baby seems to have been crying.
• She must have been waiting all afternoon.
4. The passive infinitive
To be + past participle
Example:
• The door ought to be closed.
• I am hoping to be given a post in the committee.
Examples of infinitives
• The best way to understand his lecture is to listen carefully.
• To drop her home he took a detour.
• To finish the project is her only goal this week.
• They offered to help the poor children.
What is the difference between infinitives and gerunds?
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