Infinitives
Infinitives Overview
Maria tries to kick the ball.
She wants to score five goals.
She hopes to win the game!
Infinitives Overview
To form an infinitive, use ‘to’ + simple form of the verb
Jennifer hopes to get an ‘A’.
to win the game.
to graduate college in 2017.
Infinitives Overview
Like gerunds, infinitives act like nouns, not verbs. Infinitives are
like nouns!
It is often the object of a verb.
I want pizza.
I want it.
I want to eat.
Infinitives Overview
Infinitives can be a single verb or a verb phrase:
I want to eat.
I want to eat out tonight.
Infinitives Overview
Put a ‘not’ before an infinitive to make it negative.
I expect to move soon.
I expect not to move soon.
Let’s try it!
With your partner, do Exercise 1.
Verb + Infinitive
More than one Infinitive in a sentence:
Do you want to sweep or to vacuum?
Do you want to sweep or vacuum? You may omit the
second ‘to’.
Let’s try it!
With your partner, do Exercise 2.
Let’s try it!
With your partner, complete the chart in Exercise 3.
Verb + Object + Infinitive
Some verbs are followed by an object + infinitive. The object can be a noun
or pronoun.
Sue taught Max to sit.
She told Max to sit.
Verb + Object + Infinitive
With want, need, and would like and some other verbs, the meaning can
change if we add an object.
I want to go swimming.
I want Sammy to go swimming.
She needs to cook lunch.
She needs you to cook lunch.
He would like to have dessert.
He would like you to have dessert.
Let’s try it!
With your partner, do Exercise 4.
Gerund or Infinitive
after begin, start, and continue
have same meaning
I began to cry during the movie.
same meaning
I began crying during the movie.
I started to eat my sandwich.
same meaning
I started eating my sandwich.
She continued to do well in her classes.
same meaning
She continued doing well in her classes.
Gerund or Infinitive
after like, love, hate, prefer
can have same or different meaning
I prefer eating hotdogs over hamburgers.
same meaning
I prefer to eat hotdogs over hamburgers.
I prefer playing tennis.
(gerunds often for general activities)
different meaning
I prefer to play tennis at 6 o’clock tomorrow.
(infinitives often for one specific occasion, especially
in the future)
Gerund or Infinitive?
A trick that sometimes works :)
Gerunds: The gerund happens first, then the verb happens second.
I appreciate living by the beach.
(First you live, then you appreciate.)
I finished watering the garden.
(First you water, then you finish.)
Gerund or Infinitive?
A trick that sometimes works :)
Infinitives: The verb happens first, then the infinitive happens second.
He wants to come skating with us.
(First you want, then you come.)
He asked me to marry him.
(First you asked, then she married.)
Gerund or Infinitive
after try may have same or
different meanings
He made the call:
same meaning I tried to call you, but you weren’t home.
I tried calling you but you weren’t home.
Unsuccessful attempt:
I tried to take some aspirin for the pain, but I couldn’t open the bottle.
different meaning
Experiment:
I tried taking some aspirin for the pain, but it didn’t help.
Give it a try!
With your partner, do Exercise 5.
Gerund or Infinitive
after remember, forget, stop, and regret
have different meanings
Infinitive Gerund
I remembered to mail the letter. I remembered mailing the letter.
(First I remembered. Then I mailed the letter.) (First I mailed the letter. Then I remembered it.)
I forgot* to go there. I’ll never* forget going there.
(First I forgot, so I didn’t go there.) (First I went there. Now I’ll never forget it.)
* ‘Forget’ is most common with infinitives. * ‘Never + forget’ is often used with the gerund.
Gerund or Infinitive
after remember, forget, stop, and regret
have different meanings
Infinitive Gerund
I stopped to smoke. I stopped smoking.
(First I stopped what I was doing. Then I smoked.) (First I was a smoker. Then I stopped.)
I regret to tell you that... I’ll regret telling you that…
(First I regretted it. Then I told you that…) (First I told you something. Then I regretted it.)
Give it a try!
With your partner, do Exercise 6.
Infinitives of Purpose
Used to say WHY we do something.
Verb + infinitive
I went to the store to buy milk.
Use ‘in order’ before the infinitive to add variety and formality.
I went to the store in order to buy milk.
Aways include “in order” when the purpose is negative.
We were speaking quietly in order not to wake up Mr. Smith
Infinitives of Purpose
Use an infinitive to give a short answer to a WHY question:
Question: Short answer:
Why did you go to the store? To buy milk.
To get to the other side.
Try it out!
With your partner, do Exercises 7 and 8.
‘Be’ Adjective + Infinitive
Subject Be + Adjective Infinitive
It is difficult to drive home in bad weather.
(It = to drive home in bad weather)
I am happy to help you.
They were surprised to hear they had gotten married.
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