English Grammar 28: THE INFINITIVE

Chapter 28: The Infinitive

Welcome to Chapter 28! In English grammar, verbs usually tell us about an action and change their form based on the time (tense) or the subject. But what if a verb wants to act like a noun, an adjective, or an adverb? That is where the Infinitive comes in. Let us explore this fascinating "verb in disguise."

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Topic 1: What is an Infinitive?

1. Clear and Detailed Explanation

An Infinitive is the base (or original) form of a verb. It is most commonly preceded by the word "to". For example: to go, to sing, to respect.

Even though it comes from a verb, it does not act as the main verb of a sentence. Instead, it acts as a Verb-Noun. This means it can do the job of a noun (like being the subject or object of a sentence), but it keeps some "verb superpowers," like taking its own object or being described by an adverb.

2. Important Rules and Exceptions

• Rule 1: Form. The standard form is to + base verb.
• Rule 2: Function. It usually functions as a noun, but retains verb-like qualities (it can take objects and modifiers).
• Exception: The word "to" is frequently used with the Infinitive, but it is not an essential part of it. (We will learn about the "to-less" infinitive in Topic 2).

3. Solved Examples

Let us look at how the infinitive works in the original examples provided:

1. I want to go.
   Explanation: "to go" is the infinitive acting as the object of the verb "want."
2. They tried to find fault with us.
   Explanation: "to find" is the infinitive.
3. To err is human.
   Explanation: "To err" (to make a mistake) is acting as a noun here. It is the Subject of the verb "is."
4. Birds love to sing.
   Explanation: "to sing" is the Object of the verb "love."
5. To respect our parents is our duty.
   Explanation: "To respect" is the Subject of the verb "is." Notice its verb superpower: it takes its own object ("our parents").
6. He refused to obey the orders.
   Explanation: "to obey" is the Object of "refused." It also takes its own object ("the orders").
7. Many men desire to make money quickly.
   Explanation: "to make" is the Object of "desire." It takes an object ("money") and is modified by an adverb ("quickly").

4. Additional Practice Exercises

Identify the infinitive in the following sentences:

1. She hopes to win the competition.
2. To learn a new language takes time.
3. He likes to read quietly in his room.

5. Complete Solutions and Explanations

1. to win - It acts as the object of the verb "hopes."
2. To learn - It acts as the subject of the sentence, taking the object "a new language."
3. to read - It acts as the object of "likes," modified by the adverb "quietly."

6. Common Mistakes Students Make and Tips to Avoid Them

• Mistake: Confusing the preposition "to" with the infinitive "to." (e.g., "I went to the store" vs. "I want to eat.")
• Tip: Look at the word immediately following "to." If it is a noun or pronoun (the store, him), "to" is a preposition. If it is an action verb (eat, run, sleep), it is an infinitive!

7. Quick Summary

The infinitive is the base form of a verb, usually with "to," that acts primarily like a noun while keeping the ability to take objects and adverbs.

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Topic 2: The Bare Infinitive (Without "To")

1. Clear and Detailed Explanation

Sometimes, the infinitive drops its disguise and appears without the word "to." We call this the Bare Infinitive. It is still an infinitive, but it follows specific verbs and phrases that do not allow the word "to" after them.

2. Important Rules and Exceptions

• Rule 1: Sense and Action Verbs. Use the bare infinitive after verbs like bid, let, make, need, dare, see, and hear (except when "need" and "dare" are conjugated with "do").
• Rule 2: Modal Verbs. Always use the bare infinitive after will, would, shall, should, may, might, can, could, and must.
• Rule 3: Specific Phrases. Use the bare infinitive after phrases like had better, had rather, would rather, sooner than, and rather than.

3. Solved Examples

After Sense/Action Verbs:

• Bid him go there. / I bade him go.
• Let him sit here. / I will not let you go.
• Make him stand. / I made him run.
• We need not go to-day. / You need not do it.
• You dare not do it.
• I saw him do it. / I heard him cry.

After Modals:

• I will pay the bill.
• You should work harder.
• He can speak five languages.
• You must come to the office at nine tomorrow.

After Specific Phrases:

• You had better ask permission.
• I had rather play than work.
• I would rather die than suffer so.

4. Additional Practice Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets (with or without "to"):

1. My mother made me _____ (clean) my room.
2. You ought _____ (study) for your exam.
3. I would rather _____ (walk) than take the bus.
4. Did you hear the dog _____ (bark)?

5. Complete Solutions and Explanations

1. clean - After the verb "make/made," we use the bare infinitive.
2. to study - "Ought" is a modal that always requires "to." (It is an exception to the general modal rule).
3. walk - After the phrase "would rather," we use the bare infinitive.
4. bark - After a verb of perception/sense ("hear"), we use the bare infinitive.

6. Common Mistakes Students Make and Tips to Avoid Them

• Mistake: Using "to" after "make" or "let." (e.g., "The teacher let us to leave early." or "She made me to cry.")
• Tip: Memorize the phrase "Let it go" (from Frozen!). Notice it is not "Let it to go." Apply this logic to "make," "see," and "hear."

7. Quick Summary

The bare infinitive is just the base verb without "to." Use it after modals, sensory/causative verbs (let, make, see, hear), and phrases like "had better" or "would rather."

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Topic 3: Uses of the Simple Infinitive (Noun Roles)

1. Clear and Detailed Explanation

When the infinitive acts exactly like a Noun, it is called the Simple Infinitive. Because it is acting like a noun, it can be placed anywhere a noun normally goes in a sentence.

2. Important Rules and Exceptions

The Simple Infinitive can be used in five ways:

• As the Subject: The main focus of the sentence.
• As the Object: Receiving the action of a transitive verb.
• As the Complement of a Verb: Completing the meaning of a linking verb (like "is").
• As the Object of a Preposition: Following prepositions like "but" or "about."
• As an Objective Complement: Adding information about the direct object.

3. Solved Examples

• Subject: To find fault is easy. / To err is human. / To reign is worth ambition.
• Object: I do not mean to read. / He likes to play cards.
• Verb Complement: Her greatest pleasure is to sing. / His custom is to ride daily.
• Object of Preposition: He had no choice but to obey. ("but" means except). / The speaker is about to begin.
• Objective Complement: I saw him go. (Explaining what "him" did).

4. Additional Practice Exercises

Identify the function of the Simple Infinitive in these sentences (Subject, Object, Complement, Object of Preposition):

1. My dream is to travel the world.
2. To forgive requires strength.
3. She wants to become a doctor.
4. They did everything except to surrender.

5. Complete Solutions and Explanations

1. Complement - "to travel" completes the linking verb "is."
2. Subject - "To forgive" is what the sentence is about; it performs the verb "requires."
3. Object - "to become" receives the action of what she "wants."
4. Object of Preposition - "to surrender" follows the preposition "except."

6. Common Mistakes Students Make and Tips to Avoid Them

• Mistake: Thinking an infinitive at the beginning of a sentence is always an adverb.
• Tip: If you can replace the infinitive phrase with the word "It" or "Apples", and the sentence still makes grammatical sense, it is acting as a noun (Subject). (e.g., To run is fun -> It is fun).

7. Quick Summary

The Simple Infinitive functions entirely as a noun, doing the jobs of subjects, objects, and complements.

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Topic 4: The Gerundial or Qualifying Infinitive (Adjective/Adverb Roles)

1. Clear and Detailed Explanation

Sometimes, the infinitive does not act like a noun. Instead, it acts like an Adjective (describing a noun) or an Adverb (describing a verb, adjective, or whole sentence). When used this way, it is called the Gerundial Infinitive or Qualifying Infinitive.

2. Important Rules and Exceptions

The Qualifying Infinitive is used:

• To qualify a Verb: It tells us the purpose or cause of an action (Adverb job).
• To qualify an Adjective: It adds meaning to an adjective (Adverb job).
• To qualify a Noun: It describes what the noun is used for (Adjective job).
• To qualify a Sentence: Used absolutely to comment on the whole statement.

3. Solved Examples

• Qualifying a Verb (Purpose/Cause):
  • He called to see my brother. (Purpose)
  • We eat to live. (Purpose)
  • I come to bury Caesar. (Purpose)
  • He wept to see the desolation caused by the flood. (Cause)
• Qualifying an Adjective:
  • Figs are good to eat.
  • This medicine is pleasant to take.
  • The boys are anxious to learn.
  • He is too ill to do any work.
• Qualifying a Noun:
  • This is not the time to play.
  • You will have cause to repent.
  • He is a man to be admired.
  • Here is a house to let. / This house is to let.
• Qualifying a Sentence:
  • To tell the truth, I quite forgot my promise.
  • He was petrified, so to speak.

4. Additional Practice Exercises

Determine what the bolded Qualifying Infinitive is modifying (a Verb, a Noun, an Adjective, or a Sentence):

1. I bought this book to read on the train.
2. To be honest, I didn't enjoy the movie.
3. She was happy to help her friends.
4. We have plenty of water to drink.

5. Complete Solutions and Explanations

1. A Verb. "to read" explains the purpose of why I "bought" the book.
2. A Sentence. "To be honest" qualifies the entire statement that follows.
3. An Adjective. "to help" explains why she was "happy" (happy is an adjective).
4. A Noun. "to drink" describes the noun "water."

6. Common Mistakes Students Make and Tips to Avoid Them

• Mistake: Confusing a Simple Infinitive (Noun) with a Qualifying Infinitive that modifies a noun.
• Tip: Look at the sentence structure. "I want to eat" -> "to eat" is the object (Simple). "I have an apple to eat" -> "to eat" describes the apple (Qualifying/Gerundial).

7. Quick Summary

The Qualifying (Gerundial) Infinitive functions as an adjective or adverb to describe nouns, verbs, adjectives, or entire sentences.

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Topic 5: Forms of the Infinitive (Active and Passive)

1. Clear and Detailed Explanation

Infinitives are incredibly flexible. Because they have "verb blood" in them, they can show whether the subject is doing the action (Active) or receiving the action (Passive). They can also show different times or continuations of an action.

2. Important Rules and Exceptions

Infinitives change form based on Voice (Active/Passive) and Tense (Present, Continuous, Perfect):

Form Type	Active Voice (Subject does the action)	Passive Voice (Subject receives the action)
Present (Simple action)	to love / to write	to be loved / to be written
Present Continuous (Ongoing action)	to be loving / to be writing	Rarely used
Perfect (Completed action)	to have loved / to have written	to have been loved / to have been written
Perfect Continuous (Ongoing past action)	to have been loving / to have been writing	Rarely used

3. Solved Examples

• Active Present: I want to see the manager.
• Passive Present: I want to be seen by a doctor.
• Active Present Continuous: He seems to be working hard right now.
• Active Perfect: Napoleon is acknowledged to have been a great general. (Shows action happened in the past).
• Passive Perfect: The letter ought to have been sent yesterday.

4. Additional Practice Exercises

Identify whether the infinitive is Active or Passive, and if it is Present or Perfect:

1. She was thrilled to have won the award.
2. The walls need to be painted.
3. He pretends to be sleeping.

5. Complete Solutions and Explanations

1. Active Perfect: "to have won" shows she completed the action (won) before the main verb (was thrilled).
2. Passive Present: "to be painted" shows the walls are receiving the action (someone else will paint them).
3. Active Present Continuous: "to be sleeping" shows an ongoing action happening at the same time as the pretending.

6. Common Mistakes Students Make and Tips to Avoid Them

• Mistake: Using the Active Present infinitive when the noun is receiving the action. (e.g., "This room needs to clean.")
• Tip: Always ask: Is the subject *doing* the infinitive action? Rooms don't clean themselves. Therefore, use the passive: "This room needs to be cleaned."

7. Quick Summary

Infinitives can be tweaked to show ongoing action (to be doing), completed action (to have done), or passive voice (to be done).

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Chapter 28 Assessment: Multiple Choice Questions

Test your understanding of Infinitives with these 20 questions.

1. What is the basic form of a standard infinitive?
   A) Verb + ing
   B) To + base verb
   C) Verb + ed
   D) For + base verb
   Answer: B. Explanation: The standard infinitive consists of "to" followed by the base form of the verb.


2. In the sentence "To err is human," what is the function of the infinitive?
   A) Object of the verb
   B) Adjective
   C) Subject of the verb
   D) Adverb
   Answer: C. Explanation: "To err" is performing the role of a noun acting as the subject of the sentence.


3. Which of the following sentences contains a bare infinitive?
   A) I want to eat pizza.
   B) She likes to read.
   C) Let him go.
   D) They tried to win.
   Answer: C. Explanation: After the verb "let," we use the infinitive without "to" ("go").


4. Which modal verb requires a bare infinitive after it?
   A) Must
   B) Ought
   C) Used
   D) Going
   Answer: A. Explanation: We say "You must come", not "You must to come." (Ought and Used take "to").


5. Identify the role of the infinitive in: "He had no choice but to obey."
   A) Subject
   B) Object of a Preposition
   C) Objective Complement
   D) Adjective
   Answer: B. Explanation: "But" functions as a preposition here (meaning except), and "to obey" is its object.


6. In the sentence "We eat to live," what does the infinitive "to live" qualify?
   A) A Noun
   B) An Adjective
   C) A Verb
   D) A Sentence
   Answer: C. Explanation: It tells us the purpose of the verb "eat," thus acting as an adverb qualifying a verb.


7. What is the Passive Present form of the infinitive "to write"?
   A) to have written
   B) to be writing
   C) to have been written
   D) to be written
   Answer: D. Explanation: The passive present form is "to be + past participle."


8. Which sentence demonstrates the infinitive qualifying an adjective?
   A) This house is to let.
   B) Figs are good to eat.
   C) I come to bury Caesar.
   D) To tell the truth, I forgot.
   Answer: B. Explanation: "To eat" modifies the adjective "good."


9. What type of infinitive acts entirely like a noun?
   A) Qualifying Infinitive
   B) Gerundial Infinitive
   C) Bare Infinitive
   D) Simple Infinitive
   Answer: D. Explanation: The Simple Infinitive fulfills noun functions (subject, object, complement).


10. Combine these sentences using an infinitive: "He has five children. He must provide for them."
    A) He has five children and he provides.
    B) He has five children to provide for.
    C) Providing for five children is what he does.
    D) He must provide for his five children.
    Answer: B. Explanation: "to provide for" acts as an infinitive qualifying the noun "children."


11. Which word correctly fills the blank: "I heard him ______."
    A) to cry
    B) cried
    C) cry
    D) crying to
    Answer: C. Explanation: "Hear/heard" is a verb of perception that takes a bare infinitive ("cry").


12. In the sentence "To tell the truth, I quite forgot my promise," the infinitive is used absolutely to qualify:
    A) A noun
    B) An adjective
    C) The verb "forgot"
    D) The whole sentence
    Answer: D. Explanation: Introductory phrases like "To tell the truth" qualify the entire statement that follows.


13. Identify the infinitive form: "to have been loving."
    A) Active Perfect Continuous
    B) Passive Perfect
    C) Active Present Continuous
    D) Passive Present
    Answer: A. Explanation: "have been" indicates perfect, "loving" indicates continuous, and the subject is doing the action (Active).


14. "You had better ______ permission." Choose the correct verb form.
    A) to ask
    B) ask
    C) asked
    D) asking
    Answer: B. Explanation: The phrase "had better" is followed by a bare infinitive ("ask").


15. In "Her greatest pleasure is to sing," the infinitive is used as:
    A) Subject
    B) Object
    C) Complement of a Verb
    D) Object of a preposition
    Answer: C. Explanation: "to sing" completes the meaning of the linking verb "is."


16. What is the Active Perfect form of the infinitive "to love"?
    A) to be loving
    B) to be loved
    C) to have been loved
    D) to have loved
    Answer: D. Explanation: Active perfect is formed using "to have + past participle" (to have loved).


17. Combine using an infinitive: "He went to Amritsar. He wanted to visit the Golden Temple."
    A) He went to Amritsar visiting the Golden Temple.
    B) He went to Amritsar to visit the Golden Temple.
    C) He went to Amritsar and visited the Golden Temple.
    D) To visit the Golden Temple he was going to Amritsar.
    Answer: B. Explanation: "To visit" expresses the purpose of his going to Amritsar.


18. "I would rather die than suffer so." The words "die" and "suffer" are:
    A) Simple Infinitives
    B) Bare Infinitives
    C) Participles
    D) Gerunds
    Answer: B. Explanation: They follow the phrases "would rather" and "than" without the word "to."


19. Which of these verbs does NOT take a bare infinitive?
    A) Make
    B) Bid
    C) Refuse
    D) See
    Answer: C. Explanation: We say "I refused TO go." Make, bid, and see take the bare infinitive.


20. In "He is a man to be admired," the infinitive "to be admired" is qualifying a:
    A) Verb
    B) Adjective
    C) Sentence
    D) Noun
    Answer: D. Explanation: It describes the noun "man," doing the job of an adjective (Qualifying Infinitive).