Which is the correct definition of an infinitive phrase?
1. What is an Infinitive Phrase? An infinitive phrase is a group of words that uses an infinitive ( “to” + verb ). An infinitive is a verbal (a word that expresses action); so, an infinitive phrase has the same role of expressing action in a sentence. An infinitive phrase is just a part of a sentence, working like a noun, adjective, or adverb.
Can a native English speaker use an infinitive phrase?
Native English speakers can use infinitive phrases without too many snags. For those learning or teaching English though, life is a little trickier because deliberate consideration must be given to how infinitive phrases function (i.e., as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs) before they can be used or taught.
When do you Drop the ” to ” in an infinitive phrase?
Most infinitives are preceded by “to,” but after certain verbs, the “to” is dropped. This happens when an infinitive follows “can,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “must,” “shall,” “should,” “will,” or “would” (i.e., a modal auxiliary verb ).
What is the complement of an infinitive phrase?
The complement of an infinitive verb will often be its direct object, and the modifier will often be an adverb. For example: He likes to knead the dough slowly. (The infinitive verb is “to knead.”. The complement is its direct object (“the dough”). The modifier is the adverb (“slowly”).
1. What is an Infinitive Phrase? An infinitive phrase is a group of words that uses an infinitive ( “to” + verb ). An infinitive is a verbal (a word that expresses action); so, an infinitive phrase has the same role of expressing action in a sentence. An infinitive phrase is just a part of a sentence, working like a noun, adjective, or adverb.
When to use to infinitive with no subject?
We can use the to -infinitive in a clause with a verb that has no subject (a non-finite clause). The to-infinitive focuses on the idea of an action or the results of an action, rather than the action in itself: To work in a developing country had always been her ambition. To get there before lunch, you would have to take the seven o’clock train.
Can a phrase be a part of a sentence?
Like all phrases, it doesn’t contain the subject-verb combination that forms a clause. You can think about it like this: since a noun, adverb or adjective can’t be a full sentence, neither can an infinitive phrase. It is just a part of a sentence, and needs an independent clause to be complete.