The infinitive in English : complete course

What Is the Infinitive in English?

The infinitive is one of the most basic and important verb forms in English. It is the base form of a verb, the simplest version you can find in a dictionary. In English, the infinitive is often used with the word ‘to’ in front of it, but not always.

For example, the infinitive of the verb ‘run’ is simply ‘run’, and you will often see it written as ‘to run’. Understanding the infinitive is a great first step in learning how English verbs work.

Simple Examples to Get Started

• to eat
• to sleep
• to learn
• to go
• to be

These are all infinitives. They represent the verb in its most basic, neutral form. They do not show tense, and they are not connected to any subject like ‘I’, ‘you’, or ‘she’.

The Key Elements of the Infinitive in English

There are a few important things to know about the infinitive in English. Let us look at the main components one by one.

The Full Infinitive (with ‘to’)

The most common form is the full infinitive, which uses ‘to’ before the base verb. This is the form you will see most often in sentences.

• I want to eat pizza.
• She needs to sleep more.
• We decided to go to the park.

The word ‘to’ here is not a preposition. It is part of the infinitive structure. This is an important point to remember.

The Bare Infinitive (without ‘to’)

Sometimes, the infinitive is used without ‘to’. This is called the bare infinitive. It is used after certain verbs called modal verbs.

• I can swim.
• She must study for the exam.
• They should call their parents.

Modal verbs like ‘can’, ‘must’, ‘should’, ‘will’, and ‘may’ are always followed by the bare infinitive. No ‘to’ is needed after these verbs.

Common Uses of the Infinitive

The infinitive can be used in many different ways in a sentence. Here are the most common uses at a basic level:

Why the Infinitive in English Matters

The infinitive is everywhere in English. If you want to speak and write correctly, you need to recognize it and use it properly. Here is why it is so useful:

• It helps you express what you want, need, or plan to do.
• It lets you give reasons or explain purposes.
• It is used with hundreds of common verbs.
• It appears in everyday conversations, emails, and texts.

Without the infinitive, it is very difficult to form complete and natural sentences in English. It is truly a building block of the language.

Comparison with Other Languages

If you already speak French or Spanish, you may notice some similarities and differences. This can help you understand the English infinitive more easily.

In French and Spanish, the infinitive is a single word with a specific ending. In English, the infinitive is formed with ‘to’ + the base verb. It is simpler in structure, but it can still be tricky because of the bare infinitive form used after modal verbs.

Another key difference: in French and Spanish, the infinitive changes its ending depending on the verb group. In English, the base verb never changes in the infinitive form.

A Complete Example

Let us look at a short paragraph that uses the infinitive in different ways:

‘Every morning, Maria wants to wake up early. She tries to exercise and to eat a healthy breakfast. She has to take the bus to get to work on time. She can speak two languages, and she hopes to learn a third one soon.’

• ‘to wake up’ – after the verb ‘want’
• ‘to exercise’, ‘to eat’ – after the verb ‘try’
• ‘to take’ – after ‘has to’
• ‘to get’ – expressing a purpose
• ‘speak’ – bare infinitive after the modal ‘can’
• ‘to learn’ – after the verb ‘hope’

As you can see, the infinitive appears many times in just a few sentences. It is a very natural part of spoken and written English.

Key Points to Remember

• The infinitive is the base form of a verb.
• The full infinitive uses ‘to’ + verb: to go, to read, to be.
• The bare infinitive has no ‘to’ and is used after modal verbs: can go, must read.
• The infinitive does not change according to the subject.
• It is used after many common verbs, adjectives, and to express purpose.

The infinitive is one of the first grammar points you will use every day as an English learner. Practice it often, and it will quickly become natural for you.

Sources

• Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., and Svartvik, J. (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman.
• Murphy, R. (2019). English Grammar in Use (5th edition). Cambridge University Press.
• Biber, D., Conrad, S., and Leech, G. (2002). Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Pearson Education.