Questions tagged [infinitives]
The infinitive is the base verb form, conveying no information about person, number, mood or tense.
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Can “was to do” denote “the result of the past situation”?
I've never come across "was to do" that is used to mean "the result of the past situation" as in
The football team was to win the trophy, defeating the opponent by
1-0 (meaning "the football ...
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0answers
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A problem regarding infinitives
I was doing an exercise and I had to join two sentences using an infinitive.
The pair of sentences was--
I have no aptitude for business. I must speak it out frankly.
The answer was--
To speak ...
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0answers
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Identifying the infinitive
I was doing an exercise and I had to find the infinitive and also its type.
And fools who came to scoff remained to pray.
I think here there are 2 infinitives to scoff and to pray.
But the answer ...
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1answer
36 views
I have never heard him to say it
I have never heard him to say it
Now, I realize that the "to" is not supposed to be there. But why? Grammatically "say" in this sentence is an infinitive. Or it is pretending to be one. I am using ...
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3answers
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“… to apply for a visa” or “… and applied for a visa”?
Here are two sentences:
Once he got the passport, he went to the Chinese consulate in Toronto and applied for a visa.
Once he got the passport, he went to the Chinese consulate in Toronto to ...
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1answer
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Can an infinitive phrase serve as an object complement noun?
Please help me understand. Can an infinitive phrase function as an object complement noun?
I.e. The teacher told her student to stop complaining.
What is the function of the words ‘her student to ...
2
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1answer
43 views
“I want to use my energy TO READ or FOR READING?”
Which of these sentences is correct?
1) I want to use my energy to read.
2) I want to use my energy for reading.
Thank you very much! Gerunds and infinitives confuse me.
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to infinitive : result or purpose?
He met Luis Suarez's cross at the far post, only for Chelsea keeper
Petr Cech to show brilliant reflexes to deflect his header on to the
bar. Carroll turned away to lead Liverpool's insistent ...
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1answer
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To do it will be hard
I can say the sentence:
It will be hard to do it
But can I say it so?
To do it will be hard
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2answers
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passive to active reconstruction
The clerks are trained to provide customers with exceptional service.
Active:Someone (unknown) trains the clerks to provide customers with exceptional service.
to provide customers with exceptional ...
3
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1answer
34 views
noun phrase and infinitive
He is asked to investigate [what the police believe to be the root of the crime (to discover the truth.)]
The first infinitive to be the root of the crime,
the understood subject is what, right?
Can ...
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1answer
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infinitive clause and subject
1.He invented a business plan which companies can employ (to earn profits.)
I bracketed the part which I think is the purpose adjunct,
the understood subject of the infinitive is companies, right?
...
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1answer
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Passive Infinitive reconstruction
I remember that passive infinitive sentences can be changed into "It is PP that Subject+verb",
but does the formula apply to the following sentences?
I wonder if all passive infinitive sentences can ...
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1answer
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So + adj + as to + verb / so +adj + to + verb
Can I use those forms interchangeably? I think 1 and 1' don't mean the same thing but 2 and 2' mean the same thing.
1-She was so radiant as to be almost beautiful.
1'-She was so radiant to be ...
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2answers
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actor of the infinitive clause
Identifying whether the infinitive clause is a purpose or a catenative complement helps me understand what the understood subject is. (I hope the interpretation below is correct)
He wrote the book ...
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2answers
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the missing object of the verb
But the thing I didn't care a damn about, didn't even grasp to be happening, was the passing-away of the old life I'd know. (Coming up for air)
What is the object of the verb grasp ? Is it the thing ...
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0answers
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“the only thing you did today was breathe” vs. “the only thing you did today was TO breathe”
Sometimes it's okay if the only thing you did today was breathe.
In this sentence, should I use a bare infinitive, 'breathe', or 'to breathe'? I think I should use a bare infinitive, otherwise ...
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1answer
28 views
Can infinitive tell purpose
He led the team to win the competition without support from the instructors.
Infinitive clause tells purpose most of the time ,
but can infinitival clauses sometimes tell the result?
Like the ...
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2answers
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infinitive clause ambiguity
We need him to accomplish this task.
Is this an ambiguous sentence?
I think the possible interpretations are:
1: We can't accomplish this task without him/We need him in order to accomplish this ...
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1answer
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Same sentence structure, different modification
We learned an approach that is used to measure company growth.
We employed a strategy that is scarcely used to generate profit.
(The above sentences probably seem weird)
In the first sentence , ...
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6answers
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infinitive telling the purpose
He used his disability in order to win our votes, which is an evil way to win the election.
This is a sentence which I submit for an English class assignment, but my teacher crossed out in order, ...
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1answer
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infinitive : complement or purpose
It is important to gain data to verify or falsify your assumption about business model.
Does the infinitive act as a purpose, being same as in order to,
Or does it act as an object complement by ...
2
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1answer
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Infinitive: purpose or adjectival
These factors can be something about the person or something about the situation, which can combine [to determine] the consumer's motivation [to process] product-related information at a given point ...
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1answer
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infinitive :To and In order to
1.The fourth case is more diffuse – the forging of various bilateral links with the fishing industry: some ENGOs have succeeded in working with fishers to bring in environmental measures that they can ...
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1answer
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infinitive clause acting as adjective
He is the first kid to have been sent to Japan to study to become a doctor.
In this sentence, does the infinitive act serve as an adjective and modify the noun kid?
Can it also be understood as :(...
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1answer
47 views
How to understand this infinitive
Marketing is the process of transforming or changing an organization to have what people will buy.
I don’t know what the infinitive here means,
does it tell the purpose or it has other functions.
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2answers
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infinitive clause :adjectival or complement
I know infinitive clause can be an adjective or a complement.
My following sentences concern what they act as.
No one in the team possesses the ability which is required to accomplish this task.
...
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0answers
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Why ifinitive without to in the sentence? [duplicate]
Why in the next sentence infinitive 'avoid' is used without 'to'?
By solving the puzzle, I
get a gem in the form of a principle that helps me avoid the same sort of problem
in the future.
-4
votes
1answer
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Subjunctive Mood — Correct use in the following:
The street native may be a vendor, from whom the street participant purchase.
Is the second clause correct? I mean for the "street participant," just as the "street native," to be understood as a ...
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1answer
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Nominal to-infinitive clause as complement of an adjective
Source: "A Cmmunicative Grammar of English" by Geoffrey Leech and Jan Svartvik (p.328-329)
As you can see, the book says:
● Nominal to-fininitive clause as subject:
To say there is no ...
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1answer
41 views
Infinitive clause meaning
The brain must be provided with something that it has never before processed to force it out of predictable perceptions.
I am not so sure about this one, but my instinct tells me that " to force it ...
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3answers
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Infinitive form and what it modifies
The leader created a term which the members of their group would use to describe people who had never contributed to the community.
The infinitive clause " to describe people ... to the community" ...
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2answers
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verb + “to have” + past-participle
He needed to have not gone there.
Above is a vague way of saying He needed not to go there., and I think that would be very inappropriate too. I am more interested in knowing whether that would be ...
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1answer
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Perfect Infinitive Problem
1) She was to have returned yesterday, but she fell ill.
2) She was to return yesterday, but she fell ill.
Does both the sentence have same meaning?
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1answer
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What is the correct conjugation of the verb fill in this sentence? Could you please explain grammar in this sentence?
A) Inflation is once again a major concern, violent crimes is on the rise, cases of corruption filling the press, healthcare in precarious state, insfrastructure projet not materialized and street ...
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2answers
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Infinitive phrases meaning
He gave me the resources that are needed to reach a higher status.
Can this sentence be interpreted in three different ways?
If the infinitive phrase is an adverb, modifying the verb "gave"
I think ...
2
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1answer
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Use of Infinitive
He gave me a pen to write with.
He gave me money to spend.
Why spend is not taking preposition as it is done in first example. Kindly help me.
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1answer
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Is it a continuation of infinitive or the verb of subject?
He gives examples to illustrate his life with friends in the past and
express his feelings about his life now.
He gives examples to illustrate his life with friends in the past and
expresses ...
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1answer
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Which is the correct form and under what topic does this fall? [closed]
1) I stand before the court requesting that ...
2) I stand before the court to request that ...
Is only #2 correct? Are both correct? And why?
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vote
1answer
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Complements: -ing form or infinitives
Not sure if this was already discussed, but I am confused about the use of -ing form/infinitives as complements. I've found in several threads in Stack Exchange that the verb "to be" has to be ...
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2answers
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Verb that comes after “to”
Why saying:
"It is equivalent to saying that"
is true rather than:
"It is equivalent to say that"
I always get confused about using the word after "to" because when I was learning English I ...
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2answers
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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 ...
0
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1answer
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Reading a sentence
The accountant made the writer to sign on the check.
They always make us laugh.
In these two sentences .. why is to sign used in first sentence instead of only SIGN? In second sentence why is ...
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0answers
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“To” or not after the verb “to be” [duplicate]
Considering the two sentences:
The first thing they would do was take money
The first thing they would do was to take money
Which one is grammatically more correct?
There is a rule which says ...
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votes
3answers
46 views
Can WOULD LIKE TO be used with PERFECT INFINITIVE to refer to the past?
I'd like to have visited Moscow while I was in Russia, but I didn't manage to.
Is "to have visited" OK here?
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1answer
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Can WANT be used with PERFECT INFINITIVE to refer to the past?
It seems that "I want to have seen you when I was in USA" is not very correct. However, I can see the sentences like:
So I do feel some sympathy for him, some feeling toward him. I want him to have ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
To be or to have been
The parcel appears to have been opened before it was delivered.
Could you let me know if it is possible to use 'to be opened' instead of 'to have been opened', and if not, why?
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2answers
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The difference between “go to shop” and “ go shopping”
I've been stuck thinking this for a while. Would anyone explain me the difference between "go to shop" and "go shopping".
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2answers
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“to go on picnic” vs “going on picnic”
In this sentence:
A friend of mine likes ________ on picnic at weekends.
Is it "to go" or "going"?
I reckon to + verb is usually used for a habit or preference.
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1answer
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when I need to omit the rest part of infinitive,but keeping “to”
A: Are you going to watch the football match this afternoon?
B1: I'd like to, but
B2: I'd like, but
B3: I'd like to watch, but
which answer is correct? Is there any Grammar here?
