Infinitives are a special form of verbs that can be used as a noun, adjective, or adverb. They are usually made by adding the word to before the base verb, and they can be useful when discussing actions without actually doing the action, A base verb is the verb in its original form, without any changes or conjugations. It's also known as the root form or stem. Examples of base verbs
run, enjoy, talk, giggle, hang, love, jump, clap, cuddle, and scream.
The main difference between finite and non-finite verbs lies in their functions and forms:
1. Finite Verbs
- Definition: A finite verb is a verb that is limited by the subject and can stand alone in a sentence. It shows tense (past, present, future) and agrees with the subject in number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, third).
- Examples:
- She reads books. (The verb "reads" agrees with the subject "She" and is in the present tense.)
- They were playing outside. (The verb "were" is in the past tense and agrees with the plural subject "They.")
- One of my talents is to mimic people.
- The person to contact is Max.
- He bought the car to sell it.
In the first four examples, the infinitives function as nouns. In the fifth, it is working as an adjective, and in the sixth one, it is working as an adverb.
Non-Finite Verbs
- Definition: A non-finite verb does not show tense or agree with the subject. It cannot stand alone as the main verb of a sentence and is often used in verb phrases or as part of infinitive forms, gerunds, or participles.
- Types:
- Infinitive (to + base form of the verb): to run, to eat
- Gerund (verb + ing, functioning as a noun): running, eating
- Participle (verb forms used as adjectives or to form verb tenses): running, eaten
- One of my talents is to mimic people.
- The person to contact is Max.
- He bought the car to sell it.
In the first four examples, the infinitives function as nouns. In the fifth, it is working as an adjective, and in the sixth one, it is working as an adverb.
negative infinitives are formed by using NOT before them.
- We decided not to go there.
- She asked me not to share it with anyone.
- Not to contact him was the right decision.
- Try not to eat the food.
Examples of infinitives as objects
- Nobody likes to work with a liar.
- We are planning to buy a new house.
- They refused to work with him.
A list of verbs followed by a noun/pronoun and an infinitive
Examples:
- I told her to shut up.
- We want everyone to be safe.
examples of infinitives as subject complements
Subject complement definition: a word or a group of words that renames or describes the subject is called the subject complement. A noun renames (gives a new name) the subject, and an adjective modifies it.
Examples:
- Her favorite hobby is to sing. (To sing is referring to her favorite hobby)
- The goal of our organization is to educate the poor.
- My advice would be to call him.
infinitive as an adjective
An infinitive or an infinitive phrase can work as an adjective in a sentence. When it works as an adjective in a sentence, it comes right next to the noun or the pronoun it modifies.
Examples of infinitives as adjectives
- The person to blame is me. (which person = to blame)
- The right thing to do is to call the police.
- Do you need anything to eat?
As an adverb, infinitives tell us the reason or the purpose of an action.
NOTE: an infinitive also modifies an adjective in a sentence and functions as an adverb. Here’s the structure when it modifies an adjective in a sentence:
Structure: Subject + linking verb + adjective + infinitive/infinitive phrase
- It is important to sleep properly.
(modifying the adjective properly) - We are pleased to work with you.
(telling us the reason for the adjective) - It was awesome to be on the stage.
(telling us the reason for the adjective)
bare infinitive, also known as a zero infinitive, is an infinitive that does not have the particle ‘to’ in it. Bare infinitives are used after certain verbs: make, let, see, hear, watch, help, etc.
Examples:
- I made him take the test.
(Here, take is the bare infinitive, and take the test is the bare infinitive phrase.)
- My father does not let me smoke.
- Did anyone watch us steal the money?
- She did not hear us talk about the crime.
Bare infinitives are also used after modal auxiliary verbs: can, could, may, might, should, would, will, shall, must, etc.
- You should listen to the people who are successful at what they do.
- Jon must work on his communication skills.
- I can beat anyone in a street fight.
