What is infinitive in grammar

what is infinitive in grammar

Infinitive in grammar

Read the sentences in the passage:

Nahid is a boy of a village farmer. His father wants him to become a doctor to serve the people in distress. Everyday Nahid goes to school early to sit on the front bench. Once he heard his teacher say in the class: "To serve man is to please God. To love man is to love God". Since then, he has cherished a desire to have ability to serve. He does not read to learn by rote. He tries to understand whatever he reads. It is very important to write the lesson to learn it well. So after reading the lesson he begins to write to keep it in memory. To grow crops his father works hard in the field. Nahid also wants to work and help his father. But his father does not let him work. He does not want to see his son work like others in the village. He hopes to see his son prosper in life. He seems to have learnt how to act wisely.

This passage contains Infinitive which is formed by adding 'to' before the verb. Infinitive may be expressed or understood in the sentence without being used. In that case, it is called bare infinitive.

Ask and Answer:

i. Which sentence in the passage is without any infinitive? 

ii. How many infinitives are there in sentence number three? Which 'to' is not infinitive here? 

iii. Which of the verbs in the passage have bare infinitive?

Infinitives are of two kinds:

a. Simple or Noun Infinitive. 

b. Gerundial or Qualifying Infinitive.

Simple or Noun Infinitive is used as :

i. Subject of a verb.: To err is human 

ii. Object of a verb: He likes to swim. I taught him to read. 

iii. Object of a Preposition: He is about to die. He is about to go. 

vi. Complement to verb : He seems to be an honest man. He appears to be a rich man. 

v. Objective Complement: We take him to be a fool.

Gerundial Infinitive is used to :

i. Modify an adjective: 

The old man is too weak to walk. I am glad to receive your letter. He is ready to go.

ii. Modify a verb:

The children went to play. We eat to live.

iii. Modify a noun:

It is a chair to sit on. 

This is a house to let.

iv. Modify an adverb:

We went to the field to see the game. I walked fast to avail the bus.

v. Qualify a sentence: 

To speak the truth, he is an honest man. 

To be brief, I am ruined.

Omissions of Infinitive : 

After certain verbs (let, make, need, hear, watch, see, dare) the infinitive is omitted.

Example:

(i) I saw him go home. 

(ii) Let him come. 

(iii) He need not go there. 

(iv) He made me do it. 

(v) I heard him say this. 

(vi) We watched him go. 

(vii) We did not let him go. 

(viii) You dare not do it.

But in the passive voice of these verbs (except let) infinitive 'to' is used. 

(i) He was seen to go. 

(ii) He was made to do it. 

(iii) He was heard to say this. 

(iv) Rahim was not let go.

(Note: Had rather, had better, would rather, cannot but etc. take bare infinitive)

Perfect infinitives and split infinitives

Perfect infinitive is formed by using 'to have before a principal verb:

(i) I wished to have gone there. 

(ii) He seems to have seen better days. 

(iii) They are reported to have done this.

Note: Perfect infinitive is used after past tense of verbs wish, desire, hope, intend, command etc.

Split infinitive : 

Sometimes adverb or adverb phrase is used in between infinitive and the verb in the sentence, in that case it is a split infinitive.

(i) I request you to kindly help me. 

(ii) I request you to quickly do this.

The correct forms should be :

i. I request you to help me kindly. 

ii. I request you to do this quickly.

Exercise : 

Now read the passage again and pick out different kinds of infinitives.

Fill in the gaps using infinitives where necessary :

a. The Headmaster advised me............ study regularly. 

b. This is an easy chair............ sit on. 

c. Munira is eager............ study engineering.

d. He need not.............do whatever he likes. 

e. This is a house............ sell. 

f. You had better............ go than stay here. 

g. He seems............. be better today.

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