English Language Arts
Grade 12
15 min
Identify infinitives and infinitive phrases
Identify infinitives and infinitive phrases
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1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define and identify infinitives in various forms (full, bare, split) within complex sentences.
Accurately isolate complete infinitive phrases, including their objects, complements, and modifiers.
Analyze and classify the grammatical function of an infinitive phrase as a noun (subject, direct object, predicate nominative), an adjective, or an adverb.
Differentiate definitively between an infinitive phrase and a prepositional phrase beginning with 'to'.
Deconstruct sentences from British and World literature to identify infinitive usage.
Evaluate the stylistic and rhetorical effects of infinitive phrases in sophisticated prose and poetry.
What is the ultimate purpose of language *to convey meaning*, *to persuade an audience*, or *to create beauty*...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
VerbalA word formed from a verb but functioning in a sentence as a noun, adjective, or adverb. There are three types: gerunds, participles, and infinitives.In the sentence '*To forgive* is divine,' the word 'forgive' is a verb form, but the phrase *To forgive* acts as the noun subject.
InfinitiveThe most basic form of a verb, typically preceded by the word 'to'. It expresses action or a state of being without being conjugated for a specific subject or tense.to be, to run, to analyze, to comprehend
Infinitive PhraseA group of words consisting of an infinitive and any complements, objects, or modifiers that complete its meaning. The entire phrase functions as a single part of speech.In 'He wanted *to write a novel about the human cond...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Infinitive Formula
to + [adverb(s)] + verb + [object(s)/complement(s)/modifier(s)]
This pattern helps identify the components of an infinitive phrase. Start by finding the 'to + verb' core, then look for any adverbs between them (a split infinitive) and any words that follow which complete the verb's meaning.
The Function Test
1. Noun Test: Can you replace the phrase with 'something' or 'it'?
2. Adjective Test: Does the phrase modify a noun or pronoun, often answering 'which one?' or 'what kind?'
3. Adverb Test: Does the phrase modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb, often answering 'why?', 'how?', or 'for what purpose?'
Use this three-part test to determine the grammatical function...
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Challenging
In T.S. Eliot's line, 'I have measured out my life with coffee spoons; I know the voices dying with a dying fall / Beneath the music from a farther room,' a student adds an infinitive: 'To measure out one's life with coffee spoons suggests a meticulous futility.' What is the function of this complex infinitive phrase?
A.Adverb modifying 'suggests'
B.Noun, acting as the subject of 'suggests'
C.Adjective modifying 'futility'
D.Predicate nominative renaming 'life'
Challenging
Analyze this complex sentence: 'The policy, designed to rapidly stimulate the economy by encouraging local investment, was ultimately deemed insufficient.' What is the primary function of the infinitive phrase 'to rapidly stimulate the economy'?
A.It is an adverb modifying 'deemed'.
B.It is the noun subject of the sentence.
C.It is an adverb modifying the participle 'designed'.
D.It is an adjective modifying 'policy'.
Challenging
A student analyzes the sentence: 'He went to London to study postmodern literature.' Their analysis is: ''To London' is an infinitive phrase acting as an adverb, and 'to study' is a prepositional phrase.' Based on the tutorial, what is the fundamental error in this analysis?
A.The student has reversed the classifications; 'to London' is the prepositional phrase and 'to study...' is the infinitive phrase.
B.Both phrases are infinitives, but they have different functions.
C.The student correctly identified the phrases but incorrectly identified their functions.
D.Both phrases are prepositional phrases because they indicate direction or purpose.
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