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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
Unit 4 Infinitive Phrases
Review
Units 1 and 2 introduced some of the building blocks of sentences, including noun phrases and verb phrases,
as well as different types of clauses that can be used to create simple and advanced sentences.
Varying your sentence structure makes for more interesting writing. In Unit 4, you will learn some new types
of phrases that will add variety and meaning to your writing.
Learning Objectives
In this unit, you will learn how infinitive phrases help build sentences. Specifically, after this unit, you should
be able to:
•
•
recognize infinitive phrases and their functions
differentiate infinitive phrases from prepositional phrases.
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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
Exercise 1 – Identifying Infinitive Phrases
Highlight or underline the prepositional phrases in this text. You may consult the Answer Key for this unit
when you have finished.
Improving Your Public Speaking Skills
To learn to be an effective public speaker is a valuable skill. One can follow a few simple techniques to improve
public speaking skills. First, present an interesting quote or story to capture the audience’s attention. Second,
establish a theme to give the audience a reason for listening. Third, break your ideas into separate points to make
your topic clear to the audience. Towards the end, refer back to a few major points to reinforce your main idea.
The purpose of applying these techniques is to provide your audience with a complete package. Many people take
speech training courses to try to overcome their fear of public speaking. They hope to improve the use of their
voices. However, the best way to practise is to simply go out and speak in public.
Infinitives
An infinitive is the basic form of a verb without person1, tense2 or aspect3.Generally, an infinitive includes the
word ‘to.’
To be
To have
To walk
To think
Some infinitives do not include the word ‘to,’ such as verbs used after an auxiliary4 or modal verb5.*
*See appendix for definitions of numbered terms.
Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
4
Infinitive Phrases
An infinitive phrase is a grammatical unit which includes a verbal6, that is a verb part that does not function
as a main verb. An infinitive phrase can function as an adjective, an adverb, or a noun. For example, as a noun
it can be in the subject or object position in a sentence.
Infinitive phrases in the subject positionInfinitive phrases in the object position
To err is human. subject
We don’t like to err.
object
To compete professionally is his only desire.
subject
His girlfriend, however, wants to marry.
object
To be successful in life takes more than money.
subject
Most people would just like to be happy.
object
When an infinitive phrase is the subject of a sentence, a predicate is still required to form a
complete sentence.
To travel around the world is my greatest dream.
subject
predicate
Notice that when the infinitive phrase is the object of the sentence, both a subject and main verb are required
to form a complete sentence.
main verb
She is planning to buy a house next year.
subject
object
Infinitive phrases can appear at the beginning of a sentence or after the verb.
1. He is very hard to please.
subj.
infinitive
To please him is very hard.
subj.
2. Her political opponents are not easy to defeat.
subj.
infinitive
To defeat her political opponents is not easy.
subj.
3. The course is almost impossible to pass.
subj.
infinitive
To pass the course is almost impossible.
subj.
Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
5
Practice 1
Highlight or underline all the words that are part of an infinitive phrase in each sentence. Be careful: there
might be more than one infinitive phrase in a sentence.
1. It’s dangerous to ride a motorcycle without wearing a helmet
2. To learn a second language is to adopt a second culture.
3. The dean asked the faculty not to forget to turn in their grade reports.
4. My parents allow me to use their car over the weekend.
5. To tell him the story now might upset him.
6. Many international students come to Canada to study English.
7. The government has promised to eliminate sales tax in 10 years’ time.
8. During the holidays, I will fly to Calgary to visit my grandparents.
Uses of Infinitive Phrases
Infinitive phrases can also be used as object complements, subject complements, adjectives, adjective
complements, and adverbials.
This exhibit shows others to be under-researched.
object
object complement
Her ambition is to fly helicopters.
subject
subject complement
Do you have any clothes to donate to the garage sale?
noun
adjective
Andrea was afraid to tell her instructor the truth.
adjective
adjective complement
Grandma went home to visit her family.
verb
adverbial
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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
Exercise 2
All three sentences below use an infinitive phrase as an object complement. The infinitive is the second
verb in the sequence and it completes the main verb. Fill in the spaces with the appropriate labels or
text segments, as in the example.
Example
We all expected her to win the race.
obj.
obj. comp.
1. I asked my brother
.
obj. comp.
2. We wanted
to stop the noise.
obj.
our neighbors
obj.
to drive me home
obj. comp.
Exercise 3
All three sentences below use an infinitive phrase as a subject complement that completes a subject. Fill in
the spaces with the appropriate labels or text segments, as in the example.
Example
What is important is to inform everyone of the new development.
subj.
subj. comp.
1. According to the saying,
is to believe.
subj. comp.
2. The child’s wish is
.
to join his family
subj.
subj. comp.
to see
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iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
Exercise 4
All three sentences below use an infinitive phrase as an adjective that qualifies a noun. Fill in the spaces
with the appropriate labels or text segments, as in the example.
Example
His wish to be an astronaut started when he was very young.
noun
adj.
1. The professor gave us a list of
to buy for the course.
adj.
2. The government does not have the political strength
.
noun
books
adj.
to fight corruption
noun
Exercise 5
All three sentences below use an infinitive phrase as a complement to an adjective. Fill in the spaces with
the appropriate labels or text segments, as in the example.
Example
People are unhappy to see their taxes increase.
adj.
1. The students were
obj. comp.
to see the movie stars.
comp.
2. The workers are now ready
.
adj.
to negociate
adj.
comp.
fortunate
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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
Exercise 6
All three sentences below use an infinitive phrase as an adverbial that modifies a verb. Fill in the spaces
with the appropriate labels or text segments, as in the example.
Example
To learn his art, he moved to Paris.
adv.
verb
1. I went to Halifax
.
adv.
2. To catch the morning train, I
at five.
verb
to see my brother
adv.
verb
got up
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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
Practice 2
Some underlined phrases in this text are infinitive phrases, while some are not. Circle the infinitive phrases
and strike out those which are not infinitive phrases.
The Father of the Tamil Press
Padre Henrique Henriques (1520 – 1600) was a Roman Catholic missionary from Portugal. He joined the Franciscan
order to become a friar, but had to leave as he was descended from Jewish parents. After initial years in Goa,
he moved to India.
Henriques strongly felt that, for his mission to be successful, books of religious doctrines had to be adapted to
local languages. To this end, he wrote books in Tamil. Apart from being the first to produce a Tamil-Portuguese
dictionary, he set up the first Tamil press and printed books in Tamil script. With his efforts, Tamil became
the first non-European language to be printed with a printing press. Hence, he is sometimes referred to as the
Father of the Tamil Press.
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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
Practice 3
Indicate for each sentence whether the text in bold is an infinitive phrase or a prepositional phrase.
Infinitive
Prepositional
PhrasePhrase
1. Last weekend, Sue invited me to join her for a movie.


2. The teachers said to the students, “Speak slowly and clearly.”


3. The supervisor reminded the workers not to forget their helmets.


4. T he supervisor said to the workers, “Don’t forget
to wear your helmets.”


5. T he Internet brings new technologies to the whole world.


6. P rofessor Taylor expected his students to hand in assignments on time.


7. At this rate, the companies will not have any trees to cut in twenty years.


8. What is important in a job interview is to show that you can provide value to the company.


9. He lacked strength to resist any change to the rules.


10. T o be denied access to the new market would mean death to the company.


Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
11
Appendix
1) PERSON – the pronoun used as the subject of a verb
SINGULARPLURAL
First Person:I
We
The subject is the speaker
“We are students.”
“I am a student.”
Second Person:YouYou
Speaking to someone else
“You are a student.”
“You are students.”
Third Person: He She It
They
Speaking about an individual or thing that is outside the context
“They are students.”
“He is a student.”
2) TENSE – the form of the verb that indicates time
A verb tense indicates past, present or future action.
“I walked to the store.” Past
“I walk to the store.” Present
“I will walk to the store.” Future
3) ASPECT – shows whether the action or state is complete (perfect) or incomplete (progressive)
“She walked all the way home.” (complete – perfect aspect)
“She is walking all the way home.” (incomplete – progressive aspect)
4) AUXILIARY – a verb that modifies the main verb and helps to make distinctions in mood, person, aspect,
and tense. The most common auxiliary verbs are: be, do and have.
“He is walking to the store in the snowstorm.”
“I do like the snow, but not the cold.”
“My father has never seen snow.”
A question often begins with an auxiliary verb:
“Did you have enough to eat?”
“Have you done your homework?”
Notice how the subject is placed between the helping verb and the main verb in these questions.
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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4
5) MODAL – an auxiliary verb used to express possibility, intention, obligation or necessity. The most common
modals are: can, could, will, would, shall, should, ought to, dare, and need.
“I should have told you.”
“They would like some help.”
“You need more practice.”
6) VERBAL – a verb that doesn’t act as a verb, but rather as a noun or an adjective
Verbals include:
Infinitive phrases
To be a student is a great responsibility and privilege.
Gerunds
Being a student is a great responsibility and privilege.
Present participles
The student reading at the desk is frustrated.
More on gerunds and participial phrases in Units 5 and 6.
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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4 – answer key
Exercise 1 – Identifying Infinitive Phrases
Highlight or underline the prepositional phrases in this text.
Improving Your Public Speaking Skills
To learn to be an effective public speaker is a valuable skill. One can follow a few simple techniques to improve
public speaking skills. First, present an interesting quote or story to capture the audience’s attention. Second,
establish a theme to give the audience a reason for listening. Third, break your ideas into separate points to make
your topic clear to the audience. Towards the end, refer back to a few major points to reinforce your main idea.
The purpose of applying these techniques is to provide your audience with a complete package. Many people take
speech training courses to try to overcome their fear of public speaking. They hope to improve the use of their
voices. However, the best way to practise is to simply go out and speak in public.
14
Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4 – answer key
Practice 1
Highlight or underline all the words that are part of an infinitive phrase in each sentence. Be careful: there
might be more than one infinitive phrase in a sentence.
1. It’s dangerous to ride a motorcycle without wearing a helmet
2. To learn a second language is to adopt a second culture.
3. The dean asked the faculty not to forget to turn in their grade reports.
4. My parents allow me to use their car over the weekend.
5. To tell him the story now might upset him.
6. Many international students come to Canada to study English.
Be careful! The word ‘to’ does not always signal an infinitive phrase. It can also be a preposition. See Unit 3
for more on Prepositional Phrases.
7. The government has promised to eliminate sales tax in 10 years’ time.
8. During the holidays, I will fly to Calgary to visit my grandparents.
Be careful! The word ‘to’ does not always signal an infinitive phrase. It can also be a preposition. See Unit 3
for more on Prepositional Phrases.
Exercise 2
All three sentences below use an infinitive phrase as an object complement. The infinitive is the second
verb in the sequence and it completes the main verb. Fill in the spaces with the appropriate labels or text
segments, as in the example.
Example
We all expected her to win the race.
obj.
obj. comp.
1. I asked my brother to drive me home .
obj. comp.
obj.
2. We wanted
our neighbors
to stop the noise.
obj.
obj. comp.
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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4 – answer key
Exercise 3
All three sentences below use an infinitive phrase as a subject complement that completes a subject. Fill in
the spaces with the appropriate labels or text segments, as in the example.
Example
What is important is to inform everyone of the new development.
subj.
subj. comp.
to see
1. According to the saying,
is to believe.
subj. comp.
subj.
2. The child’s wish is to join his family .
subj. comp.
Exercise 4
All three sentences below use an infinitive phrase as an adjective that qualifies a noun. Fill in the spaces
with the appropriate labels or text segments, as in the example.
Example
His wish to be an astronaut started when he was very young.
noun
adj.
1. The professor gave us a list of
books
to buy for the course.
noun
adj.
2. The government does not have the political strength to fight corruption.
noun
adj.
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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4 – answer key
Exercise 5
All three sentences below use an infinitive phrase as a complement to an adjective. Fill in the spaces with
the appropriate labels or text segments, as in the example.
Example
People are unhappy to see their taxes increase.
adj.
1. The students were
obj. comp.
fortunate
to see the movie stars.
comp.
adj.
2. The workers are now ready
to negociate
adj.
.
comp.
Exercise 6
All three sentences below use an infinitive phrase as an adverbial that modifies a verb. Fill in the spaces
with the appropriate labels or text segments, as in the example.
Example
To learn his art, he moved to Paris.
adv.
verb
1. I went to Halifax to see my brother .
adv.
verb
2. To catch the morning train, I
adv.
got up
verb
at five.
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Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4 – answer key
Practice 2
Some underlined phrases in this text are infinitive phrases, while some are not. Circle the infinitive phrases
and strike out those which are not infinitive phrases.
The Father of the Tamil Press
Padre Henrique Henriques (1520 – 1600) was a Roman Catholic missionary from Portugal. He joined the Franciscan
order to become a friar, but had to leave as he was descended from Jewish parents. After initial years in Goa,
he moved to India.
Henriques strongly felt that, for his mission to be successful, books of religious doctrines had to be adapted to
local languages. To this end, he wrote books in Tamil. Apart from being the first to produce a Tamil-Portuguese
dictionary, he set up the first Tamil press and printed books in Tamil script. With his efforts, Tamil became
the first non-European language to be printed with a printing press. Hence, he is sometimes referred to as the
Father of the Tamil Press.
18
Online Tutoring System for Essay Writing
iNFINITIVE phrases – Unit 4 – answer key
Practice 3
Indicate for each sentence whether the text in bold is an infinitive phrase or a prepositional phrase.
Infinitive
Prepositional
PhrasePhrase
1. Last weekend, Sue invited me to join her for a movie.


2. The teachers said to the students, “Speak slowly and clearly.”


3. The supervisor reminded the workers not to forget their helmets.


4. T he supervisor said to the workers, “Don’t forget
to wear your helmets.”


5. T he Internet brings new technologies to the whole world.


6. P rofessor Taylor expected his students to hand in assignments on time.


7. At this rate, the companies will not have any trees to cut in twenty years.


8. What is important in a job interview is to show that you can provide value to the company.


9. He lacked strength to resist any change to the rules.


10. T o be denied access to the new market would mean death to the company.

