Lesson 234
Parts of the Sentence - Verbals - Adverb Infinitives
An infinitive is a verbalA verbal is a verb form used as some other part of speech. Source: Lesson 206 that is to plus a verb form. It can be used as an adverbAdverbs are words that modify (1) verbs, (2) adjectives, and (3) other adverbs. They tell how (manner), when (time), where (place), how much (degree), and why (cause). Source: Lesson 161.
Examples:
to be, to see, to be seen, to be eaten
Adverb infinitives are used to modify verbsVerbs show action or state of being. Most verbs are action words, but a few verbs indicate state of being or existence.
Source: Lesson 1. They usually tell why. Adverb infinitives are also used to modify predicate adjectivesAn adjective that comes after a linking verb and modifies the subject.
Source: Lesson 155. They may also be compound.
An infinitive phrase is made up
of an infinitive and any complements (direct objectsA direct object receives the action performed by the subject. The verb used with a direct object is always an action verb. Another way of saying it is that the subject does the verb to the direct object.
Source: Lesson 109,
predicate nominativesA predicate nominative or predicate noun completes a linking verb and renames the subject. It is a complement or completer because it completes the verb. Predicate nominatives complete only linking verbs. The verb in a sentence having a predicate nominative can always be replaced by the word equals.
Source: Lesson 102, predicate adjectives, or modifiers).
Instructions: Find the infinitives or infinitive phrases in these sentences and tell what word they modify.
1. The actors performed there to entertain and to be seen.
- to entertain and to be seen modify performedV
2. The amount of danger was impossible to imagine or to describe.
- to imagine and to describe modify impossiblePAdj
3. I have come to ask a favor and to seek your help.
- to ask a favor and to seek your help modify have comeV
4. Are you unable to see or to read the sign?
- to see and to read the sign modify unablePAdj
5. The bucking horse jumped high to throw me and to break my neck.
- to throw me and to break my neck modify jumpedV