Infinitives & infinitive phrases

KEY CONCEPT: An infinitive is a form of a verb that generally appears with the word “to” and acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

INFINITIVES

Subject: To decorate requires gold, tropical

feathers & rare furs.

Direct Object: Alone and frightened, he wanted to

survive.

Object of a

preposition:

He had no choice but to relent.

Appositive: His goal, to travel, was never realized.

Adjective: The director of the camp is the person to

notify.

Adverbs: Cortes plotted to take over the Aztec

empire.

Afraid to speak, he looked at his shoes.

INFINITIVE PHRASES• An Infinitive Phrase is an infinitive with modifiers, complements, or a subject all

acting together as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

Noun: Professional dancers need to practice daily.

Adjective: Aztecs had a complex system to irrigate the land.

Adverb: The Aztecs used these floating islands to grow crops.

Note: Sometimes infinitives do not include “to.” See the example below.

Slave labor helped build many Aztec buildings.

PRACTICE: WRITE A SENTENCE FOR EACH INFINITIVE PHRASE USING THE INFINITIVE PHRASE AS THE PART OF

SPEECH INDICATED.

1.) To succeed in school (subject)

2.) To call home (direct object)

3.) To leave on vacation (adverb modifying adjective happy)

PRACTICE: WRITE A SENTENCE FOR EACH INFINITIVE PHRASE USING THE INFINITIVE PHRASE AS THE PART OF SPEECH INDICATED.1.) To succeed in school, take notes in class and ask questions.

(Subject)

2.) Knowing I would be late for dinner, I needed to call home. (direct

object)

3.) In a few weeks, she would be so happy to leave on vacation.

(adverb modifying adjective happy)

INFINITIVE PRACTICE

• IN THE MORNING, JACK WANTED TO SLEEP FOR ANOTHER HOUR.

a. MORNING

b. HOUR

c. WANTED

d. JACK

INFINITIVE PRACTICE

•BEFORE THE COMPETITION BEGAN, FRANK DECIDED TO READ HIS

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT.

a.DECIDED

b.THE COMPETITION

c.ASSIGNMENT

d.HOMEWORK

INFINITIVE PRACTICE

• CORTES PLOTTED TO TAKE OVER THE AZTEC EMPIRE.

a. CORTES

b. AZTEC

c. EMPIRE

d. PLOTTED