DEFINITION
An infinitive usually consists of the word to plus a verb. The infinitive can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
infinitive phrase
A writer can expand an infinitive into an infinitive phrase by adding modifiers, a prepositional phrase, and/or complements. The entire phrase functions as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
Infinitives can have a present perfect form. The form adds to have to the past participle and to have been to the present or past participle.
A writer may sometimes omit the infinitive marker, to. Verbs that commonly require dropping the word to: dare, hear, help, let, make, please, see, watch.
punctuation
Infinitive phrases generally do not require commas; however, if the infinitive begins a sentence and precedes the subject, use a comma.
EXAMPLES:
To make applesauce requires apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon.
To make applesauce, you will need four pounds of apples.
EXAMPLES:
To make applesauce requires apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon.
To make applesauce, you will need four pounds of apples.
split infinitives
Placing a modifier between to and the verb creates a split infinitive. Generally, you should avoid using split infinitives unless the resulting sentence is awkward, cumbersome, or unnatural.
Perhaps the most famous split infinitive comes from the Star Trek TV show: “To boldly go where no man has gone before.” Were one to “correct” the sentence, one might write, “To go boldly where no man has gone before,” or “Boldly to go where no man has gone before,” but if either revision does not sound right to you, trust your ear and split that infinitive.
Perhaps the most famous split infinitive comes from the Star Trek TV show: “To boldly go where no man has gone before.” Were one to “correct” the sentence, one might write, “To go boldly where no man has gone before,” or “Boldly to go where no man has gone before,” but if either revision does not sound right to you, trust your ear and split that infinitive.
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Sometimes you can use an infinitive phrase to sentence combine. If you have a series of infinitives, you can choose to omit the word to as shown below.
ORIGINAL I want to go to Heritage Farms this weekend. We could go on a hayride. We could pick out a pumpkin. We could get lost in the Harvest Maze.
COMBINED This weekend I want to go on a hayride, to pick out a pumpkin, and to get lost in the Harvest Maze at Heritage Farms.
EVEN BETTER This weekend I want to go on a hayride, pick out a pumpkin, and get lost in the Harvest Maze at Heritage Farms.
COMBINED This weekend I want to go on a hayride, to pick out a pumpkin, and to get lost in the Harvest Maze at Heritage Farms.
EVEN BETTER This weekend I want to go on a hayride, pick out a pumpkin, and get lost in the Harvest Maze at Heritage Farms.