Lesson 219 - Parts of the Sentence - Verbals - Noun Infinitives

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An infinitive is a verbal that is to plus a verb form. It can be used as a noun. 

 

Examples: 

to be, to see, to be seen, to be eaten

Noun infinitives may be compound. Sometimes the second to is left off.

 

Example: 

I want to eat and to sleep.

I want to eat and sleep.

The noun infinitive can be a subject, a direct object, a predicate nominative, an appositive, or an object of a preposition.

 

Examples:

To eat is fun. (subject)

I like to eat. (direct object)

A fun thing is to eat. (predicate nominative)

My hope, to travel, never happened. (appositive)

I want nothing but to save. (object of preposition)

Noun infinitives can have with them direct objects, predicate nominatives, predicate adjectives or modifiers to form what is called a infinitive phrase. 

 

Example: 

To eat solid foods is hard for babies. 

To eat is the noun infinitive used as the subject, and it has its own direct object foods with the adjective solid, which together make up the subject of the sentence.

Instructions: Find the compound noun infinitives and noun infinitive phrases in the following sentences and tell if they are used as a subject, a direct object, a predicate nominative, an appositive, or an object of a preposition.

1. Your job will be to count the people and pass out the tickets.

2. To talk and visit in class can get you into trouble.

3. To eat, drink and make merry is not a good life style.

4. Small children like to play in sand piles and eat goodies.

5. Her wish, to travel and see the world, never happened.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. Your job will be to count the people and pass out the tickets.

    - to count the people / (to) pass out the tickets = predicate nominatives

2. To talk and visit in class can get you into trouble.

    - to talk / (to) visit in class = subjects

3. To eat, drink and make merry is not a good life style. 

    - to eat / (to) drink / (to) make merry = subjects

4. Small children like to play in sand piles and eat goodies.

    - to play in sand piles / (to) eat goodies = direct objects

5. Her wish, to travel and see the world, never happened.

    - to travel / (to) see the world = appositives

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