You've seen many examples of infinitives in this course already. An infinitive is the basic form of a verb preceded by the preposition to, as in to dance, to sing, to see or to study.
The infinitive has many different uses. It can function as the subject of the sentence:
To listen to beautiful music is a pleasure.
To work hard and stay in school should be your goal.
An infinitive can also function as a direct object:
We prefer to watch a movie on Friday nights.
Jason yearns to see his girlfriend again.
An infinitive of purpose explains why something is done. It can be a simple infinitive or an entire phrase:
/ am going to the library to study.
They went to the store to buy a new computer.
In this section we're going to take a closer look at three of the more important uses of infinitives.
TOPIC 1: Verbs Followed by Infinitives Many verbs in English are followed by infinitives:
/ want to go to the movies tonight.
The children forgot to do their homework assignments.
There isn't an easy rule to explain which verbs are followed by infinitives. They just have to be memorized and practiced. Here is a list of some of the more common ones:
afford, agree, appear, ask, begin, claim, consent, continue, decide, demand, deserve,
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expect Jail, forget, hate, hope, learn, like, love, manage, need, offer, plan, prefer, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, seem, can't stand, start, try, volunteer, wait, want, wish.
Cindy can't afford to buy a new car today.
We managed to make it to work on time despite the traffic.
Paul volunteered to help clean up the park.
PRACTICE EXERCISE 1: Fill in the blanks with the best verb from the following list.
play visit buy cry speak ride see be start go 1. We hope _________ a house some day.
2. Jay continues _________ his bicycle to work.
3. Mary intends __________ to college after she graduates.
4. You seem _________ a little tired.
5. Nancy likes _________ the violin.
6. I can't stand __________ you cry.
7. You will learn __________ English very well.
8. A few students continue __________ their teachers after graduating.
9. June expects __________ her own business someday.
10. The girls started _________ when they realized they were lost.
TOPIC 2: Adjectives Followed by Infinitives and It Plus Infinitive There are also a lot of adjectives in English that can be followed directly by an infinitive.
I'm surprised to see you here!
Jason was lucky to find a new job so quickly.
As a general rule, adjectives that are followed by infinitives describe people's emotions or feelings about something. Here's a list of the more common ones:
afraid, amazed, anxious, ashamed, astonished, careful, certain, delighted, determined, disappointed, eager, glad, happy, hesitant, horrified, liable, likely, lucky, pleased, proud, ready, relieved, reluctant, sad, shocked, sorry, surprised, upset, willing.
Hank was surprised to see his professor at the restaurant.
We were horrified to learn of the scandal at college.
Remember that the infinitive can also be used as a subject of a sentence, and often these sentences will end with an adjective.
To jump into Niagara Falls is foolish!
To study hard is important.
These sentences can be restated so that the infinitives follow the adjectives. Just put it is at the beginning, and then the adjective, and then the infinitive and the rest of the sentence.
It is foolish to jump into Niagara Falls!
It is important to study hard.
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PRACTICE EXERCISE 2: Fill in each blank with the best verb from the following list.
give, try, hear, learn, see, discover, know, help, be able, sleep
1. The students were thrilled ____________ about animals by going to the zoo.
2. I'm reluctant _____________ you a passing grade because you haven't tried.
3. Aren't you anxious ____________ what he looks like now, after all these years?
4. The researchers were eager ______________ the cause of the genetic mutation.
5. It is very pleasant _____________ late on a Saturday morning.
6. Henry is proud _____________ to retire early.
7. It is important for you _____________ a little harder.
8. It is kind of you ______________ me like this.
9. I was happy ______________ the movie that everyone had been talking about.
10. It is upsetting ______________ that you called while I was away.
TOPIC 3: Verbs Followed by Nouns or Pronouns Plus Infinitives
Another important use of infinitives is with certain verbs that are also followed by a noun or a pronoun.
Richard asked his friend to help him move.
He reminded me to mail my check.
As you can see, the formula is: subject+ verb +noun/pronoun + infinitive. Here is a list of the most common verbs that can be followed by a noun or a pronoun and then an infinitive:
advise, allow, ask, beg, cause, challenge, convince, dare, encourage, expect, forbid, force, get, hire, implore, invite, need, order, permit, persuade, remind, require, teach, tell, urge, want, warn, would like.
They hired a new assistant to help them organize the records.
How can I convince you to reconsider your decision?
The boys persuaded their parents to let them go to the party.
PRACTICE EXERCISE 3: Make logical sentences out of the following words. Always start with the first word.
1. I /you / advise/to transfer to a different class.
2. Dan / to arm wrestle him / Ralph / challenged.
3. Linda / to read her his short story / begged / Jorge.
4. Doris / me / with her / invited / to go shopping.
5. Will you / me/to accompany you / permit?
6. I / the job / to do / you / hired.
7. Gabby / the leader / to be / you / needs.
8. Would you / to drive your car / like/ me?
9. Jerry / him / some free time/ his mother / to give / convinced.
10. The students / mercy / to have / the professor / begged.
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