What is an infinitive used as a noun?
An infinitive is a verbal. Source: Lesson 206 that is to plus a verb form. It can be used as a noun. Examples: man, city, book, and courage.
Can infinitives act as nouns?
Infinitives may function as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns. Just like a single-word adjective, an infinitive used as an adjective always describes a noun. An adjectival infinitive always follows the noun it describes. Like gerunds and participles, infinitives may incorporate other words as part of their phrase.
What are the 3 functions of infinitives?
An infinitive is a verbal which functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
What are examples of infinitives?
An infinitive usually begins with the word “to” and is followed by the base form of a verb (the simple form of the verb that you would find in the dictionary). Examples of infinitives include to read, to run, to jump, to play, to sing, to laugh, to cry, to eat, and to go.
Can infinitives have direct objects?
An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word to plus a verb (in its simplest “stem” form) and functioning as a noun, adjective, or adverb. However, the infinitive may function as a subject, direct object, subject complement, adjective, or adverb in a sentence.
Can gerunds end in Ed?
3 Answers. To answer the original question: Yes, gerunds all end with -ing, simply by definition. A gerund is, in Latin, a form of the verb which can be construed as (i.e. has functional characteristics of) a noun – it can act as subject or object of a verb, for example, or can take a plural ending.
What is an example of an expletive?
The definition of an expletive is a crude or obscene expression, or an unnecessary word or phrase used to fill space in a sentence for grammar or rhythm purposes. An example of an expletive is saying “damn it.” An example of an expletive is adding “it is” in the sentence “time for us to eat.”
Can infinitives be subjects?
The term verbal indicates that an infinitive, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being. However, the infinitive may function as a subject, direct object, subject complement, adjective, or adverb in a sentence.