What is an Infinitive? To + a Verb There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
What Can an Infinitive Do? An infinitive can serve as an adjective, noun, or adverb. To serve others is a great feeling. His ambition is to fly. Sue wanted to bake cookies. To win, the team must practice. Jack has the persistence to succeed.
Tips to Identify 1.If the infinitive begins a sentence and is followed by a verb, it is the subject: To graduate from school is the ultimate goal.
2. If the infinitive begins a sentence, is followed by a comma and a noun or noun phrase, it functions as an adverb. To win, the team must practice. 3. Whether following a verb or noun, if the infinitive ends a sentence and could be moved to the beginning of that sentence by adding a comma, it functions as an adverb. The library must fund-raise to re-open. To re-open, the library must fund-raise.
4. If the infinitive ends a sentence but can not be moved to the beginning of that sentence without adding additional words, it is functioning as either a noun or an adjective. The infinitive functions as a noun when it is preceded by a verb. If it is preceded by an action verb, it is a DO. If it is preceded by a linking verb, it is a PN. Lisa loves to bake. My goal is to climb every mountain.
The infinitive functions as an adjective when it is preceded by a noun or noun phrase. Jack has the persistence to succeed.
Gerunds Serve as Nouns Gerunds can be a Subject, Object of the Preposition, Direct Object, or Predicate Nominative
Tips and Tricks 1.If it comes at the beginning of the sentence and leads up to the verb, it is serving as a subject: Shopping with my family is a tradition on Black Friday.
2. If it comes after a preposition, it is the object of the preposition: The police arrested him for speeding.
3. If a linking verb precedes (comes before), it is a PN: My cat's favorite activity is sleeping.
4. If an action verb precedes it, it is a DO: They do not appreciate my singing.
Participles The crying baby had a wet diaper. Shaken, he walked away from the wrecked car. The burning log fell off the fire. Smiling, she hugged the panting dog.