unit4spotlightlearning.com/resources/cg_bk3.u04-dc.pdf · 4. an indication of the purpose or reason...

56 Infinitives and Infinitive Phrases

Infinitives and Infinitive Phrases

The infinitive form (to + the base form of a verb) is widely used in English. It may be the subject or object of asentence, follow certain adjectives or adverbs, or provide a purpose for an action.Infinitives and infinitive phrases can be used in the following ways:

1. As the subject of a sentence. This is a fairly formal structure.To miss a Wildcats home game was unimaginable.To be an actress is my dream.

Using an infinitive as the subject of a sentence appears most commonly in poetry, prose, or proverbs.To be or not to be, that is the question. (Shakespeare, Hamlet)To err is human; to forgive, divine. (Alexander Pope, “An Essay on Criticism”)

Note: It + be + an infinitive phrase is a more informal and common way to make the infinitive the subjectof a sentence.

It is good for us to visit each other often.It’s dangerous for children to drive cars.

2. As the object of a verbGregor forgot to return the video.That’s why he had to pay a late fee.

Some verbs must be followed by an infinitive. While there are no rules to tell which verbs are followed byinfinitives, there are ways to group those verbs to help recognize them, such as:● Verbs that express feelings and longing: care, hope, like, need, prefer, wait/can’t wait, want, wish,

would likeTim is so vain. He couldn’t wait to look at himself in the mirror.Sometimes Tara would like to strangle her boss.Nilhaia prefers to eat before she arrives at her mother-in-law’s house.

● Verbs that show thought, skill, or appearance: appear, decide, expect, forget, hesitate, learn, manage,plan, prepare, seemSayed expected to get an A, but he botched the final and ended up with a B.Lauren can manage to do three things at the same time.Christopher seems to feel better about breaking up with Kathy.Yesterday Maria appeared to be ill.

● Verbs that are used to negotiate with others: agree, arrange, ask, beg, claim, consent, demand, mean (intend), offer, pretend, promise, refuse, swear, threaten, volunteerPedro offered to drive Christy to the party, but she politely refused to go with him.Gabriela will ask to speak to a manager about the problem.The IRS is threatening to audit my tax return.Bumjin meant to say something else.

● Verbs that take a noun or pronoun before the infinitive: advise, cause, convince, encourage, expect, forbid, force, invite, permit, persuade, require, tell, urge, warnPaulette has been urging her mother to see a doctor for weeks.The college requires students to pay for their classes before they begin.

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3. Some adjectives that describe people and feelings about an action are followed by the infinitive:afraid, glad, happy, important, proud, sorry, willing.They were glad to help their parents move into a city apartment.She was proud to receive top academic honors.● The adjective too is often used before an infinitive, giving it a negative connotation.

The box is too heavy for me to lift.Tom drives too fast for me to feel comfortable.Changing too to enough after the adjective or adverb gives it a positive connotation.The box is light enough for me to carry.Tom drives slowly enough for me to feel comfortable.

4. An indication of the purpose or reason for an action.Statements of purpose are similar to statements that give reasons, but they are not exactly the same. Areason is something that pushes, or causes something to happen. A purpose is something that pulls, orleads an action.I came to the United States because my husband’s job relocated him to New York. (pushed by the job torelocate)I came to the United States in order to learn English better. (pulled by the goal of learning English better)There are two common forms that express a statement of purpose:

in order + infinitive I drove to Michigan in order to see my daughter.infinitive I drove to Michigan to see my daughter.

Forming the Infinitive

To form the infinitive, use to + base form of the verb.to see, to laughto walk, to shopto study, to drive

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Split Infinitives

A split infinitive occurs when a word or group of words (usually an adverb or adverbial phrase) is placedbetween to and the verb.

to truly see to openly laugh to quietly study

Since the 13th century, those who follow strict grammar rules say that English infinitives should never besplit. However, most American English speakers split infinitives often, particularly in informal conversationsand popular culture situations. One of the most famous split infinitives in modern America is the openingline to Star Trek: “… to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

A good compromise between strict grammar rules and native speaker habits is to avoid the split infinitivewhen you can do so without making the sentence sound unnatural. You need to pay more attention toavoiding split infinitives in formal writing than anywhere else.

■ 4-1 Split InfinitivesRead each sentence below. While they may be acceptable in oral English, they can be considered errors when written in more formal contexts. Rewrite each sentence below so that the infinitive is not split, and the sentenceis otherwise grammatically correct.

1. I began to slowly walk down the pier.

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2. The children wanted to excitedly scream for the ice cream truck to stop.

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3. When actors are confused, we try to quickly whisper their lines to them.

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4. Tasha needs to carefully speak English on the telephone so she can be understood.

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5. You love to really sing loud in the shower.

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6. The dog seems to always menacingly growl at strangers.

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Slowly, I began to walk down the pier.

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■ 4-2 Sentence WritingCreate two sentences for each set of directions. Use an appropriate tense and infinitives. Work in pairs, in groups,or by yourself. Make sure that your sentence includes enough context so that both the meaning and the situationof the sentence are clear.

A. Use a modal for a good idea. For example, should + plan + see

Example: We should plan to see the new Harry Potter movie as soon as it opens.

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B. Use a modal to indicate possibility. For example, might + offer + go

Example: Eugene has a lot of errands, but he might offer to go to the airport to pick up Aunt Gilda anyway.

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C. Use a modal that draws a logical conclusion. For example, must + hate + visit

Example: Look at that woman’s expression! She must hate to visit people in hospitals.

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D. Use a modal for expectation. For example, should + want + read

Example: I know that the girls love to read suspense, so they should want to read these Agatha Christie mysteries.

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E. Use a modal of necessity. For example, must + decide + be

Example: Alfred, you have been a naughty boy. You must decide to be good for the rest of the day.

9. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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■ 4-3 Description of the IllustrationLook at the illustration. Use it to complete the activities.

A. Write a paragraph to describe what is going on in the illustration.

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B. Music is an important part of life. Analyze your own tastes in music. What kind do you like best?How often do you listen to music? Do you listen in the car? Do you listen while you are walkingand wearing headphones? How much do you listen at home? How broad is your musical taste? For example, do you like hip-hop and classical music? What about jazz? Rock? American countrymusic? Do you like music from other countries? In your notebook use your answers to write aparagraph about the types of music that you listen to.


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■ 4-4 Communicative ActivityRead each situation with a partner. Decide on a reason and a purpose for each situation and write a sentence foreach. Use the following questions and structures to help you.

Reason:

Ask yourself “Why?” or “What are the reasons?” To answer, use a clause beginning with because (because +subject + verb) or because of + noun.

Purpose:

Ask yourself “What is the goal or purpose?” Use in order + infinitive or just the infinitive.

1. Sheila wants to change the color of her hair.

Reason: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Ted wants to become an accountant.

Reason: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Karolina needs to learn how to use the Internet.

Reason: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Xiaowei walks three miles every day.

Reason: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Timor wants to read more American literature.

Reason: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Boris studies at the best university in the country.

Reason: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Miklos must start paying off his credit card bills.

Reason: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

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because she is tired of it

to make herself look younger

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■ 4-5 Theme-based DiscussionRead each topic below. Make sure you understand the questions. Work in groups of four to discuss the first topic.Pay particular attention to verb tenses. Then choose one person to report the group’s answers to the class. Next,move to another group to discuss the next topic. Repeat this process until all the topics are discussed.

A. Is there a driving test in your native country? What do you have to do to pass it? Is it easier or moredifficult to pass the test in your native country than in the United States?

B. Would you prefer to live in an egalitarian society (one where everyone is the same class) or a society with high, middle, and lower classes? Why?

C. The Internet has been called a “new frontier.” Some people think the government should regulatewhat appears on the Internet, while others believe it should remain an uncensored medium. Whatdo you think? Why?

D. Advances in science and technology, such as cloning, are being made every day. Do you thinkthere are any dangers to these advances? What kinds? Should government control how quicklyadvances are made? Why or why not?


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■ 4-6 Grammar PracticeRead each group of words below. Work with a partner to make a correct English sentence. When you are finished,share your sentences with another pair. Are everyone’s words in the same order? If not, are both orders correct?

1. you / didn’t / if / dollars / this / week / I / lottery / hope / plan / to / you / win / a / played / the million

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2. Lana / to / each / Suresh / drive / to / will / the / since / party / they / so / close / agree / to / live other

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3. to / the / because / reading / go / mother / poetry / she / should / him / loves / to / poetry / tonight / Rami’s / allow

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4. finish / require / has / this / another / the / test / class / next / so/ our / period / teacher / room / will / us /to /on / time

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5. my /now / I / register / how / to / my / own / voter / filled / registration / out / I / can / instruct / card / to /vote / that / children

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6. to / money / tell / as / Harry / his / send / soon / must / possible / parents / as

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7. to / day / in / more / muscles / might / me / to / than / a / Dr. Leibowitz / mile / a / walk / order / build / my /hamstring / advise / up

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8. convince / you / couldn’t / our / to / come / to / party / friends / tonight / the / and / I

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If you played the lottery this week i hope you didn't plan to win the million dollars.

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■ 4-7 Communicative ActivitiesActivity #1: A Scene in a Play

A. Form groups of three or four and read the summary of the play.

SYNOPSIS:

Characters:

Terence, Head of Technology, Candell College

Tahra, Director of the Library, Candell College

Situation:

Tahra reports to Terence, but because she has the title of “Director,” some people call her with their information and questions rather than Terence. Terence is distressed by this. He wants Tahra to dropthe title of Director and use the title of Assistant Director. Tahra has been Director for 14 years, however,and played a major role in the construction of the new library building; she sees such a change as astep down. Furthermore, she worries that she might get a lower salary with the title change. In short,Tahra thinks that Terence wants to take some of her power, but Tahra would like to keep her job as it is.

B. In your group, write a short scene in the play. Use infinitives that are subjects or objects of your sentences, that follow certain adjectives or adverbs, and that provide a purpose for an action. Write a scene in which Terence and Tahra argue about the situation. Can you find a way for themto resolve their differences?

Terence: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Tahra: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Terence: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Tahra: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Terence: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Tahra: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Terence: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Tahra: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Terence: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Terence: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Activity #2: Character StoriesCharles Dickens, among many other famous writers, often gives his characters names that convey what they arelike. In this exercise, you will invent stories around four characters whose names match their personalities: Karen Kind, Lennie Loquacious, Maura Morose, and Alistair Acrimonious.

A. Choose a partner who does not speak your native language. Discuss the characters’ names. If youdo not know what their last names mean, look them up in a dictionary.

B. With your partner, write a story about each character in your notebook. Use infinitives:

1. as subjects of sentences; for example, It was easy for Karen to do nice things for others when she was achild.

2. as objects of verbs; for example, Karen loved to help her parents; she required all her friends to do one nicething every day.

3. as statements of purpose; for example, Karen often tried to figure out what would make her friends andrelatives happy.

Each story should be at least ten sentences long.

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■ 4-8 Error CorrectionThere are errors in the passage below. In a group of three or four, underline all the errors you find. Pay attentionto infinitives and infinitive phrases. Then collaborate to rewrite the paragraph correctly.

Emanuel Lazarus is quite a fellow. He is the CEO and owner of one of the most successful TV broacastingchannels in New York. His most famous broadcast show is a talk show that runs every night from 8 p.m. to midnight. He himself is the talk show host because it’s fun for him talk, so he want talk toothers in order bring them out of themselves. When he gets on the air at 8:00, he invites his listenerscall in tell any problems they may have been having. Every night, he listens to countless problems.Just last night, a woman called in order for beg him for listen to her problem with her husband. Shetold Emanuel that her husband snores every night. No matter how often she begs him stopping, herefuses listened to her, so she does not know what try anymore. To sleep should be easy, she thinks.To get a word in edgewise was hard for Emanuel. In fact, he try asking this lady to slow down a littlein order to understanding her better, but she said that she preferred continue explaining her problemto him. What could Emanuel do? He decided shut up and listen because he knew that he could notmanage stop this lady from talking. After three more minutes had passed, the lady decided stop talking. Just as she was preparing finish her sentence, she became silent, and couldn’t believe herears. Emanuel Lazarus was snoring in her ear.

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■ 4-9 Sentence StemsUse the sentence stems below to write affirmative and negative statements. Make sure to use infinitives andinfinitive phrases. When you finish, you should have a short story about a family.

1. My sister wants ____________________________________________________________________________________________.

2. Her husband needs ________________________________________________________________________________________.

3. He can’t stand _____________________________________________________________________________________________.

4. They both prefer ___________________________________________________________________________________________.

5. Their daughter plans _______________________________________________________________________________________.

6. Their son hopes ___________________________________________________________________________________________.

7. Last year, they all expected _________________________________________________________________________________.

8. After that, they all decided _________________________________________________________________________________.

9. Because of that, they promised ____________________________________________________________________________.

10. When their neighbors offered ______________________________________________________________________________.

11. Finally my sister’s family agreed ____________________________________________________________________________.

12. They appeared _____________________________________________________________________________________________.

■ 4-10 Sentence ConclusionsUse the sentence conclusions below to write both affirmative and negative statements.

1. __________________________________________________________________________________________ to have some fun.

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________________to see the world.

3. ______________________________________________________________________________________________to quit my job.

4. __________________________________________________________________________________________to find a better job.

5. ______________________________________________________________________________to listen to his mother’s advice.

6. ________________________________________________________________________to run away and get married to Sam.

7. ________________________________________________________________________to break out of jail as soon as he can.

8. ________________________________________________________________________to cook than to clean up afterwards.

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Ana really wants

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■ 4-11 The Writing PageMany people look forward to their retirement, their “Golden Years.” Since people are living much longer than theyused to (the average life expectancy in the United States is 79 for a woman and 74 for a man), they hope to havemore years when the daily stress of work may no longer be a burden.

A. In your notebook, write a story about the man in the photograph. Imagine his daily life. Do youthink that he is happy? What job did he have when he worked? What does he do now on a normal day?

B. Imagine your own retirement, even if it is many years away. Where would you like to live when youretire? What activities do you hope to participate in? Will you do things that you don’t have timefor now, such as learn a musical instrument or travel around the world? In your notebook, writeabout your own “Golden Years.”


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■ 4-12 Description of the PhotographLook at the photograph below. Use it to complete the activities.

A. In your notebook, describe the photograph above, entitled “Artisan at Work.” Pay attention to youruse of infinitives.

B. The artisan has a very creative job. However, he probably doesn’t make much money. This leads tosome important questions: Why do we work? Do we only work to make money? To become rich?To make enough money to acquire goods? Or do we also work to satisfy ourselves and to fulfillpersonal and/or societal needs? In your notebook, write a paragraph in which you set out yourcareer goals and explain why you are pursuing this course.

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■ 4-13 Unit ReviewDirected Writing

Task: Write a five-paragraph essay describing your ideal job and how you will get it.

PrewritingThink of the best job you could have. Think about your personality and why this job would be ideal for you. Thisinformation could be your first paragraph. Then work out how you would go about preparing for and getting thatjob. In your notebook, write down as many details as you can about this job and what you would need to do toget hired. Use the idea maps like the one below to help you get started.

My Ideal Job is to _________________________________

Paragraph Details

First DraftWrite a first draft of your essay. Use your chart and notes to organize your ideas as you write. Use infinitives andinfinitive phrases as much as possible. Use infinitives as the subject of a sentence (To make people laugh is easy for me and very enjoyable); in expressions following It (It isn’t easy to get a job in show business.); as the object of a verb (I would like to get a job as a stand-up comic.); after some adjectives (I’m not afraid to try my luck.); and to indicatethe reason for an action (I want to meet working comedians to find out as much as I can about the pressures of the job.)Don’t forget to indent the first line and write the main idea sentence at the beginning of each paragraph.


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To work as a stand-up comic would be my ideal job. I love to make people laugh, and…

I need to watch as many stand-up comics as I can and to read about how they became successful. I…

To meet people in the comedy industry is very important. I have to contact as many agents as I can

and…

I know it’s easy for me to make people laugh. I think they like to listen to me. I…

I need to make a demonstration tape and send it to every agent. It is important for me to go to the

best comedy clubs in order to meet…

Model

Describe the job

Prepare for the job

Network withpeople in

the job

Evaluate my qualifications

Go out and get the job

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RevisionRead through your essay and check for use of infinitives and infinitive phrases. Share your essay with a partner.Your partner should be able to answer the following questions about your essay:

• What is your ideal job? Why do you think it is ideal for you?

• What do you need to do to get your ideal job?

• Did you use the correct forms of infinitives and infinitive phrases in the correct manner?

• Do you have any errors in spelling or punctuation?

• Does the essay need any more information?

Final DraftMake any changes or additions that are needed in your essay. Then write or type a final copy. You may want toinclude your final essay in a portfolio of your writing.

EvaluationYour teacher will grade your essay. You will be evaluated on:

• clarity of main ideas and level of supporting detail in your essay;

• use of the correct forms and context for infinitives; and

• appropriate use of infinitive phrases, including correct punctuation.

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