Example of Infinitives in English (Infinitives)
English / / July 04, 2021
The infinitive is the verb form that refers to the action or state without referring to the time in which it happens, that is, it only expresses the action itself. It can act in the sentence as a noun, adjective, adverb, direct object or indirect object, in addition to the verbal function. It is equivalent in Spanish to verbs ending in –ar, -er or –ir.
The infinitive in English It is formed by putting the preposition to before the verb:
To walk - walk
To eat - eat
To sleep - sleep
The infinitive is used in grammatical constructions combined with other verbs, forming a verb string:
I was thinking to make some coffee. (I was thinking of making some coffee)
We begin to study at eight o’clock. (U.S we started studying at eight o'clock)
When you want to express the action in the infinitive after the following verbs:
Enjoy
Mind
Stop
Miss
Avoid
Consider
Remember
Appreciate
Finish
Deny
Admit
Risk
Recall
In this case, the gerund is used to express the abstract action that corresponds to the infinitive, because after these verbs the form to + verb is never used:
We finish running in the third place. (We finished running in third place)
They miss eating their granny’s cookies. (They miss eating their granny's cookies)
The infinitive is written without the particle to, when written after the following verbs:
Make
Let
Hear
See
Watch
Feel
I saw walk the spider directly to the fly
Don’t worry. Let them do the try. (Don't worry, let them try)
When the infinitive is written after the prepositions but (but, but) and except (except) and when to (a, for) works as a preposition, it is not written either to before the verb:
He does nothing except sleep. (He does nothing except sleep)
I can't do anything but forget. (I can't do anything but forget)
Yes, I need the car to travel to California. (Yes, I need the car to travel to California).
When combined with objects and complements, it forms infinitive phrases, a type of verb phrase. These phrases can also function as nouns, adverbs, adjectives, direct object or indirect object.
To play football on Saturday morning is the best thing of my weekend. (Playing soccer on Saturday morning is the highlight of my weekend.)
I Work everyday to earn much money (I work every day to earn a lot of money)
Example of infinitives in English (infinitives):
- To act
- To add
- To answer
- To appear
- To arrive
- To ask
- To bark
- To be
- To became
- To belong
- To born
- To build
- To can (power)
- To clean
- To close
- To contain
- To cook
- To cost
- To cover
- To crack (break)
- To create
- To cross
- to cry (cry)
- To dark
- To die (to die)
- To discover
- To draw
- To drink
- To drive
- To dry
- To ear
- To eat
- To elect (choose)
- To exchange
- To experiment
- To explain
- To express
- To feel
- To finish
- To fix
- To fly
- To follow
- To formulate
- To found
- To freeze
- To fun
- To gift
- To give
- To go
- To grow
- To have
- To help
- To honor
- To include
- To jump
- To know
- To learn
- To leave
- To left
- To list
- To listen
- To live
- To look
- To loose
- To make
- To mean (to mean)
- To modify
- To move
- To play
- To pull
- To put
- To reach
- To read
- To record
- To refuse
- To remain
- To remember
- To repair
- To return
- To save
- To schedule
- To sell
- To set
- To shine
- To show
- To sing
- To sit
- To sleep
- To smell
- To Smile
- To solve
- To sound
- To speak
- To stay
- To stop
- To study
- To swim
- To take
- To taste
- To tell (say, speak)
- To translate
- To travel
- To try
- To turn on
- To type
- To underline
- To use
- To walk
- To wash
- To wear
- To work
- To write