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Infinitive for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: ɪn'fɪnɪtɪv

What does Infinitive really mean?

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Hey there! So, you're curious about the word "Infinitive," right? Well, no worries, I'm here to help break it down for you in the simplest way possible!

So, the word "Infinitive" is a super fancy way of describing a special kind of verb. Now, before we dive into what "Infinitive" means, let's quickly talk about verbs. You see, a verb is a word that describes an action, like running, jumping, or swimming. It tells us what someone or something is doing.

Now, when we talk about the word "Infinitive," we're talking about a special form of a verb that is usually formed by adding the word "to" in front of the base verb. The base verb is just the verb in its most basic form, with no extra endings or changes.

Let me give you an example to make things clearer. Take the verb "to play." That's the Infinitive form of the verb. It's like the base form, but we added the word "to" in front of it. So whenever you say "I want to play," or "Let's go to play," or even "They love to play," you're using the Infinitive form of the verb "play"!

Now, here comes the interesting part – the Infinitive form can also be used as a noun, adjective, or adverb in a sentence. Oh, don't worry if those terms sound a bit confusing! Let me explain. A noun is a word that is used to name a person, place, thing, or idea. An adjective is a word that describes or gives more information about a noun. And an adverb is a word that describes or gives more information about a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

So, when we use the Infinitive form as a noun, it can act as the subject of a sentence. For example, "To help others is a noble gesture." Here, "To help others" is the Infinitive form of the verb "help," acting as a noun.

When we use the Infinitive form as an adjective, it describes or gives more information about a noun. Let's say you're talking about a book, and you want to mention the reason it was written. You could say, "This book is written to entertain." Here, "to entertain" is the Infinitive form of the verb "entertain," acting as an adjective to describe the purpose of the book.

Lastly, when we use the Infinitive form as an adverb, it describes or gives more information about a verb, adjective, or adverb. So, if you want to say why you're running very fast, you could say, "I'm running to catch the bus." Here, "to catch the bus" is the Infinitive form of the verb "catch," acting as an adverb to describe the purpose of your running.

So, there you have it! The word "Infinitive" refers to a special form of a verb that is usually formed by adding "to" in front of the base verb. It can be used as a noun, adjective, or adverb in a sentence, giving more detail about actions, describing purposes, or even acting as a subject in a sentence. Isn't that fascinating? Now you know all about what "Infinitive" means!

Revised and Fact checked by John Smith on 2023-10-29 03:36:39

Infinitive In a sentece

Learn how to use Infinitive inside a sentece

  • I want to learn how to play the piano.
  • She needs to buy some groceries from the store.
  • He likes to read books in his free time.
  • They hope to visit their grandparents during the summer vacation.
  • We plan to go on a picnic next weekend.

Infinitive Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

Infinitive Hyponyms

Words that are more specific than the original word.