Infinitive Phrases for intermediate learners
Infinitive phrases are phrases that look like infinitives but they are used in special positions.
What Are Infinitive Phrases?
Infinitive phrases consist of the particle 'to' plus the base form of the main verb. Infinitive phrases are often used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence.
Infinitive Phrases: Structure
As stated above, infinitives are formed by adding 'to' to the base form of the verb. Look at the following examples:
Henry loves
Don't you like
Greg really wanted
Infinitive Phrases: Uses
Infinitive phrases can serve as:
- the subject of sentence
- the object of sentence
Harry wants
- an adjective
That is a place
Here, it is an adjective modifying a noun.
- an adverb
He walked to the store
'To but some milk' is an adverb of purpose.
Tip!
Sometimes, another word (such as an adverb) can come between 'to' and the main verb, creating what is known as a split infinitive.
They decided
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Prepositional Phrases
What are prepositional phrases? Generally, as its name requires, prepositional phrases are phrases made of prepositions. To get to know them, read the article.
Adjective Phrases
Phrases are two or more words that can function as specific parts of speech. Adjective phrases are groups of words that function as adjectives.
Adverbial Phrases
Adverbial phrases are made of two or more words and are used as the adverb of the sentence. In this lesson, you will get to know phrasal verbs.
Clauses
A clause is a group of words that has a subject and a predicate. In this lesson, we will discuss clauses in English grammar.
