Phrases Part Three

1
Phrases Part Three

• Grade Seven

2
What is an Infinitive?

• An infinitive is a verbal.
• An infinitive begins with the word to and is
  followed by a verb.
• An infinitive can do many things that nouns can
  do in a sentence.
• An infinitive can also work as an adjective or
  adverb.

3
What do Infinitives Look Like?

• The underlined words are infinitives. Note that
  they begin with to and are followed by a verb.
• -I want to go also.
• -My goal is to win.
• -To answer is difficult.
• -The plan is to hide.

4
Infinitive Phrases

• An infinitive phrase begins with to and is
  followed by a verb. These words are then
  followed by additional words. Altogether these
  words form an infinitive phrase.

5
What Do Infinitive Phrases Look Like?

• The underlined words are infinitive phrases.
• -The goal is to win the game.
• -I wish to answer the question correctly.
• -To relax at the beach is my dream!
• -The person to speak with concerning that
  problem is the principal.

6
The Jobs of an Infinitive

• Infinitives have many jobs in a sentence.
• As a noun, infinitives may work as
• Subjects
• Predicate Nouns
• Direct Objects
• Appositives
• Objects of the Preposition
• Infinitives may also work as
• -Adjectives
• -Adverbs

7
Infinitives Used as Subjects

• To find the subject of a sentence, find the
  actual verb in the sentence and ask Who? or
  What? before it.
• Ex. To tell jokes well is quite a talent.
• The verb is is. When you ask, What is a
  talent? you get the answer To tell jokes well.
  Therefore, To tell jokes well is the subject of
  the sentence.
• Now the subject does NOT have to be just one
  word!

8
Infinitives Used as Predicate Nouns

• To find a predicate noun, you must have a linking
  verb or verb of condition. A predicate noun
  comes after a linking verb or verb of condition
  and renames the subject.
• Ex. My goal is to get my A.R. points.
• Is is a linking verb. The subject of the
  sentence is goal. Coming after the linking
  verb is to get my A.R. points which renames the
  goal therefore, to get my A.R. points is the
  predicate noun.
• Note that the predicate noun is now NOT just one
  word.

9
Infinitives Used as Direct Objects

• To find a direct object, first you must have an
  action verb. Ask Who? or What? after the
  action. If one of those questions is answered,
  you have found a direct object.
• Ex. I like to swim in my pool.
• The action verb is like. When asking like
  what? the answer is to swim in my pool
  therefore, to swim in my pool is a direct
  object.
• Notice that the direct object is NOT just one
  word.

10
Infinitives Used as Objects of the Preposition

• To find an object of the preposition, first find
  a preposition. Then ask Who? or What? after
  the preposition.
• Ex. I forgot everything except to buy milk.
• Except is a preposition. When the question
  Except what? is asked, the answer is to buy
  milk. That means that to buy milk is the
  object of the preposition.
• Please notice that the object of the
  preposition is no longer a single word.

11
Infinitives Used as Appositives

• An appositive comes after a noun and renames or
  explains it. Appositives are often set off by
  commas.
• Ex. My plans to buy a computer became a reality.
• Plans is a noun. It is immediately renamed by
  to buy a computer therefore, to buy a
  computer is an appositive.

12
Infinitives Used As Adjectives

• An adjective describes a noun. An infinitive
  working as an adjective will then also describe a
  noun.
• Ex. The puzzle to build has a thousand pieces!
• Puzzle is a noun. When you ask Which
  puzzle? the answer is to build. That means
  that to build is describing the noun puzzle
  which makes it an adjective.
• Note that the adjective here is NOT just one
  word.

13
Infinitives Used as Adverbs

• An adverb describes a verb, adjective, or other
  adverb. Although adverbs are usually single word
  modifiers, infinitives used as adverbs will
  always be more than one word.
• Ex. It is hard to see during a heavy rainstorm.
• Hard is an adjective that describes the
  subject it. To see tells how it was hard
  therefore, to see describes the adjective which
  makes it an adverb.

14
Infinitives Look Different!

• Before this new verbal was learned, werent
  subjects always one word? Werent direct objects
  always one word?
• NOW that has changed! Infinitives will always be
  more than one word therefore, when they work as
  subjects, direct objects, etc., those functions
  will always be more than one word!

15
How to Diagram Infinitives

• An infinitive is diagrammed on a pedestal. If
  the infinitive is a noun function (subject,
  direct object, predicate noun, object of the
  preposition, and appositive) the pedestal sits in
  the place of the noun function.
• An infinitive diagrammed as an adjective or
  adverb hangs on a tailless hockey stick
  underneath what it describes. The pedestal sits
  on the tailless hockey stick.

16
The Pedestal

• The pedestal looks like this

17
Diagramming Subjects

• To tell jokes well is quite a talent.

18
Diagramming Predicate Nouns

• My goal is to get my A.R. points.

19
Diagramming Direct Objects

• I like to swim in my pool.

to swim
pool  
in
I
like
my
20
Diagramming Objects of the Preposition

• I forgot everything except to buy milk.

I
forgot
everything
to buy milk
except
21
Diagramming Appositives

• My plans to buy a computer became a reality.
  (Remember, appositives are diagrammed in
  parenthesis.)

to buy computer
a
(
)
plans
reality
became
a
My
22
Diagramming Adjectives

• The puzzle to build has a thousand pieces!
  (Remember that adjectives are diagrammed
  underneath what they describe.)

puzzle
pieces
has
a
thousand
to build
The
23
Diagramming Adverbs

• It is hard to see during the rainstorm.