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Verbals: Infinitives
Verbals are formed from verbs and are used as adjectives, nouns, or adverbs.
One kind of verbal is the infinitive.
An infinitive is a verb form that that can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
Most infinitives begin with to.
EXAMPLES:
Often, the best strategy is to forgive.
[The infinitive to forgive is used as a noun, a predicate noun renaming the subject strategy.]
This is the chapter to study.
[The infinitive to study is used as an adjective modifying the noun chapter.]
My sister is willing to help.
[The infinitive to help is used as an adverb modifying the predicate adjective willing.]
Verbals: Infinitive Phrases
An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and any modifiers or complements the infinitive has.
The entire phrase is used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
EXAMPLES:
Ada May needs to leave now.
[The infinitive phrase, to leave now, is used as a noun, the direct object of the verb calm. The infinitive to leave is
modified by the adverb now.]
The night light is there to calm the children.
[The infinitive phrase, to calm the children, is used as an adverb modifying the adverb there. Children is the direct
object of the infinitive calm.]
GUIDED PRACTICE:
1. For some, the attempt to comprehend his writing is a challenge.
2. They find it hard to understand the sixteenth-century expressions.
3. However, most people like to see the plays performed.