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Questions tagged [infinitive-phrases]

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"we can provide endpoints to clients to talk to" talk to what? 'the endpoints' OR 'the clients'?

"On the server, we can provide endpoints to clients to talk to to get or save various pieces of data" "We can provide endpoints to clients to talk to" In this sentence, the ...
hwkal's user avatar
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1 answer
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be excited + infinitive

I understand that "I'm excited to see her" means that I am looking forward to seeing her.The sentence seems for me to have a similar structure with such senteces:1. I'm surprised to see her....
Nigutumok's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
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If I want to use an infinitive as an adverb in the sentence then I can use an infinitive with any verb as an adverb?

If I want to use an infinitive as an adverb in the sentence then can I use it with any verb or specific verb? suppose I want to say " I went there to drive the car" so here to drive the car ...
Sammed's user avatar
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Is the dangling modifier applicable to an infinitive phrase?

Incorrect: To see well, the lights in this room need to be adjusted. niu.edu Correct: To see well, you must adjust the lights in this room. I think the first sentence is a restructuring of : The ...
South Indian ɪŋɡlɪʃɪfaɪd's user avatar
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2 answers
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the use of to-infinitive

Colloquially, can (= ‘possibility’) is very often a proposal for future action: We can see about that tomorrow. In fact with second- and third- person subjects, can expresses a familiar though tactful ...
gonju yi's user avatar
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1 answer
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very popular in North America to accompany steak

In the following sentence, what is the function of the boldfaced infinitive phrase? It isn't expressing a purpose. The sauce was first made in the UK in 1824 but it later became very popular in North ...
Apollyon's user avatar
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1 answer
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Infinitive forms as reducted relative clauses

I think use of infinitive forms as reducted relative clauses is advanced level of English (many grammar books and sites that I've read don't contain this topic) but I've just wanted to make permanent ...
Sukru Araci's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
152 views

Infinitive as modifier

Infinitive used as modifier can have a passive meaning: the bench is too wet to sit on "this bench can't be sat on" The action "sit" is directed at the subject as if it were in ...
Mr. Past Progressive's user avatar
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1 answer
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Infinitive phrases as adjectives - do we need the prepositions?

Example 1 Is there a place [for him to stay at]? Example 2 This is an ideal restaurant [for couples to have a date at]. Example 3 He is going to choose a large venue [to launch the event at]. ...
VinceL's user avatar
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Function of infinitive clause in a sentence

I am having a confusion with a sentence ; [To look at], the helmet resembles nothing so much as a novelty head massage gadget with several spidery arms. What is the function and type of "to look ...
Paul George's user avatar
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1 answer
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be suitable to V

Is "suitable to V" used naturally in the following? Sentence (a) is from CNN. If (a) is okay but (b) is not, why the difference? a. Ever since, Curiosity has been investigating the geologic ...
Apollyon's user avatar
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Does "to show" function as an adverb modifying an adjective in this sentence? [closed]

Does the usage of the infinitive to show serve the purpose the task below? Task: write a sentence using the infinitive "to show" as an adverb modifying an adjective. I tried to use "to ...
Maria Rodriguez's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
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Why the infinitive phrase in this sentence functions as Adverb and not adjective?

Marian had plenty of work to finish In the correction form, it says that the function of to finish is adverbial. But why it is not an adjective? Which work? The work to finish. So it is an adjective!!...
Maria Rodriguez's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
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to make the lights even safer

I'm wondering what function the boldfaced infinitive phrase serves. Does it indicate purpose or result? Morris bought dozens of little telephone switchboard lights, attached them to a pair of long ...
Apollyon's user avatar
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2 answers
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What is ‘intelligent’ complementing in the beginning of this sentence?

I have the following sentence and diagram: To sound intelligent on political issues was Wayne’s goal. The infinitive phrase is the subject of the sentence. What is intelligent complementing exactly, ...
mjfneto's user avatar
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1 answer
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Infinitive usage as an adjective

I'm studying infinitives being a verbal that can function as noun, adjective, or adverb. I'm somewhat confused that the following sentences are correct. If so, what is difference between them? If I ...
Hax's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
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Is the infinitive phrase ‘to adjust to the NBA’ modifying the adjective ‘difficult’?

Is the infinitive phrase ‘to adjust to the NBA’ modifying the adjective ‘difficult’ or it is in apposition with the subject ‘It’? It was not difficult for LeBron to adjust to the NBA.
Opal's user avatar
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Relative clause with infinitive verbal form and "from" preposition ("{subject} from whose {element} to get something")

Let use have a subject, which will refer to as the "parent". This parent can have sub-elements, which will refer to as "child". Now let us say I want to describe the action of getting something from ...
TedGrassman's user avatar
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2 answers
327 views

Identifying objects in a sentence with infinitive phrase

To help others is important. In this sentence, 'To help' is the infinitive (being used as noun subject) and 'is' is the verb. What is the object ? 'Others' ? And is 'To help others' an infinitive ...
Ahmad R.'s user avatar
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2 answers
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Is it OK if the understood subject of a purpose infinitive is different from the main subject?

In the sentence below, the main clause (subject: patients) is followed by an infinitival that I understand to be a purpose infinitive. However, the logical subject of the infinitival seems to be the ...
Vahid Farajivafa's user avatar
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2 answers
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Which part of speech is this?

"It is obligatory for companies to provide details of their industrial processes." The sentence above has phrase "obligatory for companies" and phrase "to provide details of their industrial ...
Sergei Iashin's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
460 views

Difference between infinitive phrase and gerund phrase as subject

What's the difference in meaning between these two sentences: To find fault with others is easy. Finding fault with others is easy. Also more generally, what's the difference between ...
Eddie Kal's user avatar
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Should there be an infinitive in "sharp corrections to elevated stock prices"?

…the Survey calls "a classic emerging market 'sudden stall' induced by sharp corrections to elevated stock prices." With Indian stock indices continuing… (emphasis added) Why it is "to + verb 2nd ...
user70831's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
2k views

Have existed vs. To have existed

I want to know that: does the perfect tense function it proper usage when it preceded by “to” infinitive. I was taught that we couldn’t put “ago” with present perfect. So, I came across a sentence ...
Bavyan Yaldo's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
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Why is it Infinitive

"She must go there".Why is go infinitive? Neither it is acting like a noun nor it is qualifying any verb,noun or adjective. If above mentioned qualities are not prerequisites for being an infinitive ...
ashish7249's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
71 views

Phrase type:To qualify as A for B?

While I was reading Wikipedia article(Felony murder rule),I came across a phrase 'to qualify as an underlying offense for a felony murder'.I tried to get the essence of the phrase from the context of ...
confused guy's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
263 views

Do Prepositions Alter Meaning of a Subject?

Do prepositions alter the meaning of a subject in a way that changes what the verb's compliment is referring to? (Specifically infinitive phrase compliments) Examples: I work at my position in time ...
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1 answer
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(Subject) changed (object) to be?

Please have a look at the constructions below: The table of values were changed to be more accurate. I am fairly confident that the above sentence is good English, with the meaning that the ...
JUNCINATOR's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
7k views

Dilemma of "forbade me to use" and "forbade me using"

Consider the sentence: "My teacher forbade me to use mobile phone in the class." Is it right to rewrite the sentence as: "My teacher forbade me using mobile phone in the class." ? Please ...
Amit Kumar Ghosh's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
379 views

"go to look for somebody in the place" vs "go to the place to look for somebody"

Given sentence: Off they went to look for the astrologer in the forest. Question: Where did they go to look for the astrologer? Possible answers: They went to the forest to look for the ...
learner's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
29k views

Should I say 'find...interesting' or 'find...to be interesting'?

In the sentence I find Area 51 interesting because there is so little information about it. Shall I add 'to be' before 'interesting'?
Rescy_'s user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
256 views

"to let fall is"... A complete clause? What is the subject?

“There are two ways of ridding ourselves of a thing which burdens us, casting it away or letting it fall. To cast away requires an effort of which we may not be capable, to let fall imposes no labour, ...
saySay's user avatar
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12 votes
4 answers
1k views

Meaning of "(assessing) points to nowhere"

A previous question post by a new user was put on hold because five people, incuding me, voted it to be "primarily opinion-based" because (or despite) it asking about one line in a song. Therefore I ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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how to say something cannot be that way

This text was written by coffee1054 in this question: You might feel that it is impossible for resistance be strictly equal to zero: maybe it leads to some contradiction with Ohm's law. In the ...
TimR's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
118 views

Looking for the subject of an infinitive phrase

From an article on kiting: Leading edge inflatable kites, known also as inflatables, LEI kites or C-kites, are typically made from ripstop polyester with an inflatable plastic bladder that spans ...
CowperKettle's user avatar
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