Questions tagged [to-infinitive]
For questions about the "base" form of a verb when it is used with "to". See "bare-infinitives" for questions about the base form of a verb when it is used without "to".
334
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Why is it "what is that supposed to mean?" And not "...to means?"
I know it looks stupid but I really couldn't understand why it's "mean" and not "means". Is it because it's on the past?
Ture McCartney
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1
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I " grew up " to be a germaphobe
In a recent NYT article, it says
It’s no surprise, then, that I grew up to be a germaphobe too.
Does it have a similar meaning to " grow to be", like " She has grown to like him",...
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1
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18
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Use it to/for doing
What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences, and which one is more idiomatic?
I use this app for keeping track of what I eat.
I use this app to keep track of what I eat.
Thank ...
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1
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26
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Usage of " only to"
Could you help me understand the following structure:
This sentence is from Advanced Grammar in Use: " Note, however, that the situation or event does not have to continue until the time of the ...
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0
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Is it correct to use the to-infinitive after past participles?
The patches are seen to merge or diverge along their lengths.
The -ing shouldn't be used in this sentence?
The patch is understood to be a useful minimum indicator of the distribution of gas.
Is ...
- 11
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0
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32
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Wash your hands before you go to sleep. (sleep is a noun or a verb?)
Wash your hands before you go to sleep.
'sleep' is a noun or a verb in the sentence above? (In other words, the 'to' is a preposition or an infinitive?)
- 3,150
1
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1
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28
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"To be" VS "to have been" ( the impersonal passive)
Is there any difference between (1) and (2)?
(1) Almodovar's film was considered to be the most innovative.
(2) Almodovar's film was considered to have been the most innovative.
(1): means that the ...
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1
answer
38
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I decided not to ____
A: Did you play tennis last weekend?
B: No, I wasn't feeling so well, so I decided not to _____.
What CAN'T you say in the blank?
a. (nothing)
b. do
c. do so
d. do it
e. do that
f. play
g. play ...
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1
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14
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necessary or extremely useful to manage / for managing
Are the following both okay? Is there any difference?
A life skill is one that is necessary or extremely useful to manage well in daily life.
A life skill is one that is necessary or extremely ...
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1
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46
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Offer A to V sentence question [closed]
The restaurant offers customers to choose spicy level.
The restaurant offers customer choice of spicy level
I think second sentence is right grammatically..but the first one also make sense?
- 11
2
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1
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38
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Questions about infinitives & when do we omit 'to'
I have been learning English and this question arose when I was doing some reading.
'not to do but to do' or ' not to do but do', which one is grammartically correct? And I have yet another question ...
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1
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Last month, I asked my son to help them "the next day/one day later/on Nov 27" - do I shift the time reference?
In reported speeches, we have to change time references
How about an infinitive clause?
Let's assume right now is Dec 26 and last month, on Nov 11, I agreed to help on Nov 12.
Example 1
Me: Last month,...
- 1,419
0
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1
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38
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using to being instead of to be
recently i saw a strange sentence about Ronaldo, but I could not understand it's grammer:
Portugal coach 'really didn't like' Ronaldo's reaction to being subbed off
i do not understand why they used ...
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2
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What is the difference
What is the difference between following sentences:
Parents are being urged to keep an eye on their child.
Parents are urged to keep an eye on their child.
Thanks.
- 11
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2
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41
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Why is it 'doing something' rather than 'to do something' here?
In the page of 'memory lane' in theFreeDictionary, there's such a sentence as follows.
It was lovely finding our old photo albums and taking a trip down memory lane.
We should use 'to do', rather ...
- 3,294
2
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1
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40
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The subject of the infinitive verbs with to
I was reading a English grammar books. It says: when you use the structure: ... first (or last etc) n + to + v, there must be subject-predicate relationship between n and v.
Then it give an example:
...
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2
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Is "life is too short to count calories" grammatically wrong?
I am too tired to talk.
I am the actual agent of the action "talk".
Life is too short to count calories.
However, life is not the actual agent of the action "count". I think it ...
- 700
3
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2
answers
45
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prepositions and to-infinitive
I learnt at school that "a pen to write" is incorrect and that you need to say "a pen to write with" because you don't write a pen but you write with a pen.
However, I found this ...
- 976
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1
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22
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"To" + infinitive for purpose
Does "to" in the following sentence express purpose?
He could not bring himself to believe that his father had really died.
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1
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19
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"to + present simple" VS "to + be + past participle"
How do I know which one is correct between these two kinds:
To + Present Simple
It's difficult to use.
I have nothing to cook.
That's too personal to ask.
To + be + Past Participle
It's ...
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0
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0
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22
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"TO" FOR PURPOSE
Does "to" in the following sentences express purpose?
She was busy all day. She didn't have a moment to rest.
He loved her but he didn't have the courage to tell her.
My friend helped me ...
0
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2
answers
29
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the absence of infinitives after "than"
The question is about the than-sentences which have an infinitive at the end and about why the absence of infinitive can make a sentence incorrect.
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com:
(1) They are not ...
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2
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38
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Complex Gerund Usage [closed]
there is a sentence formation that didn't sit with me well.
Between counseling and having to repeat my courses in summer school. It is a toss-up.
I assume having to repeat part is not a complex ...
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1
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1
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61
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'To dance is fun' Versus 'It is fun to dance'
I am going through an English grammar book written for a particular test that I am targeting. The other day, when I was studying 'Infinitives' from it, I stopped at a sentence.
To dance is fun.
I knew ...
- 171
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1
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21
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"apply to its communications program" or "apply its communications program"
Could you please tell me that the author should write
"apply to its communications program"
or
"apply its communications program"?
I am confused about two different meanings of &...
- 681
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2
answers
45
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Why it should be "a key to being successful", instead of "a key to be successful"
After I googled a lot, I beleive that the following sentence should be correct:
Confidence can be seen as a key to being successful.
However, I still do not understand why this is incorrect:
...
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1
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25
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gives children practice thinking or practice to think (to infinitive)
This helps them analyze situations from different perspectives. Pretending to be someone else, with all the gestures, actions, and language that involves, gives children practice thinking divergently ...
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1
answer
20
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the people’s anxiety for the war (to end)
"the people’s anxiety for the war to end"
"the people's anciety for the war" means they want the war to happen ?
What's the function of 'to end' after for the war? Is there any ...
- 3,150
2
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1
answer
86
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Usage of 'be to' like "is to"
They have something a bit different, which is to think up an idea
for a five-minute movie and then film it, using special animation
software.
— Cambridge IELTS 16 Listening Test 01
I don't know what ...
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38
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I wouldn’t have any more to drink, if I were you
I wouldn’t have any more to drink, if I were you.
Does the sentence look idiomatic, sound idiomatic, or look or sound grammatical?
'more' in "any more" could be an object "as a pronoun&...
- 3,150
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votes
0
answers
13
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They conducted an experiment to study a teaching environment
They conducted an experiment to study a teaching environment where fifth and sixth graders were assigned to interact on a topic.
Does the 'to infinitive' modify "an experiment" or "...
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1
answer
29
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Does context decide a subject and an object of an infinitive phrase when it is omitted? or is there any grammar rule about this?
first, sorry for my poor English and I hope you can understand what I'm asking. It seems a subject of an infinitive phrase usually appears to be the same as that of a sentence.
For example
"I ...
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1
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29
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To be the date was August 12. (Is this sentence idiomatic?) [closed]
To be the date was August 12.
Is this sentence idiomatic?
What's the difference between 'August 12 was to be the date.' and the example sentence?
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1
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35
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meaning of 'was to be the date' [closed]
It was provisionally agreed that August 12 was to be the date.
What's the meaning of 'was to be the date' here?
Does this mean 'the date should (has to) be August 12' or simply 'August 12 is ...
- 3,150
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vote
1
answer
33
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relative pronouns, to infinitive, present participle. Are they interchangeable?
Armstrong was the first man who walked on the moon.
Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon.
Armstrong was the first man walking on the moon.
Are they all the same? If not, what it the ...
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1
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52
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"ways/steps to increase" And "ways/step to increasing"
Way and step
I happened to read some sentences containing phrases with two similar forms such as
Subject Verb to Verb...
and
Subject Verb to Verb-ing...
I come up examples for each.
"I find ...
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0
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1
answer
24
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What's the grammar behind "keep up his demands to be sent heavy weapons"?
This article says:
Something we do know, though, is that Zelensky plans to keep up his demands to be sent heavy weapons to help combat the Russian military.
I believe he is demanding that heavy ...
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1
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31
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Is 'What I prefer is to spending time with you' correct grammatically? [duplicate]
I have seen a promotional video for Beyond the Future in Mr Love: Queen's Choice, I copied its lines and want to rewrite them to practice my expression and grammar.
Here is the one confused me of the ...
0
votes
1
answer
21
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Is 'to be waiting for me...' equal to 'were waiting for me...' in this sentence?
This is a sentence I saw in my practice book.
I don't expect them to be waiting for me.
I want to rewrite it as 'I don't expect them were waiting for me', because it is more nature for me, a non-...
0
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1
answer
27
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Infinitive as a subject in a question
I know I can use an infinitive as subject, but I haven't seen it used in a question. Is it possible?
Is to take care of your cat easy?
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Why does this sentence 'I find it difficult to speak English fluently' have no copula? [closed]
Moreover, is 'I find it is difficult to speak English fluently' incorrect or unnatural?
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3
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65
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Is 'We are impossible to master English in a short time' unnatural?
I'm Chinese, my teacher told me don't use the means of code-switching to learn foreign languages, she made an instance for this:
Chinese:
我们不可能在很短的时间内就掌握英语。
Divided into words by gaps:
我们 不可能 在 很短的 ...
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3
answers
298
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Why is the correct answer 'to have been cleaned'?
I'm doing my grammar practice of infinitive verbs.
The room is said ( ) last week.
A. to clean
B. to be cleaned
C. to have cleaned
D. to have been cleaned √
According to my intuition of English ...
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2
answers
54
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Which one is correct? When asked to comment / When he being asked to comment / When asking to comment / When he asked comment
I'm doing my grammar homework, but it really kills me.
( ).He refused to given any explanation.
A. When asked to comment on the quality of the goods.
B. When he being asked to comment.
C. When asking ...
2
votes
2
answers
103
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Rules are made to be broken vs He is the man to rely on
He is the man to rely on
and
Rules are made to be broken
What's the difference between the to and to be in these two sentences?
Can I say both sentences the other way around?
He is the man to be ...
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1
answer
34
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Is it okay to conjugate the verb 'let' (means 'rent') in this way?
'To let' seems like an irregular and special infinitive-verb phrase, which can express the meaning of a passive verb as an intransitive one.
This house is to let.
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1
answer
98
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Can we say "how to not to be..."?
You should learn about how to not to be egoistic.
2 people (both are English native speakers) have corrected my sentence above,
You should learn how not to be egoistical.
You should learn how to not ...
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1
answer
283
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Which one is correct? "it will help me address the issue" or it will help me to address"? [duplicate]
Which one of these two phrases is correct?
it will help me address the issue
or
it will help me to address the issue
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0
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Sentences with :- helping verbs(except do and have)+to+verb
If I were to do this, it would be better.
All of these are to be considered music for us.
I have never seen helping verbs like 'are' and 'were' being used with 'to' in this way. What do 'were to do' ...
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vote
3
answers
36
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Use of to-infinitive
I would like to travel places, to see the world and to try exquisite cuisines.
Or
I would like to travel places, see the world and try exquisite cuisines.
Is it necessary to use "to" for ...
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