The Infinitive Phrase

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The Infinitive Phrase An infinitive phrase will begin with an infinitive [to + simple form of the verb]. It will include objects and/or modifiers. Here are some examples: To smash a spider To kick the ball past the dazed goalie To lick the grease from his shiny fingers despite the disapproving glances of his girlfriend Gloria Infinitive phrases can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Look at these examples: To finish her shift without spilling another pizza into a customer's lap is Michelle's only goal tonight. To finish her shift without spilling another pizza into a customer's lap functions as a noun because it is the subject of the sentence. Lakesha hopes to win the approval of her mother by switching her major from fine arts to pre-med. To win the approval of her mother functions as a noun because it is the direct object for the verb hopes. The best way to survive Dr. Peterson's boring history lectures is a sharp pencil to stab in your thigh if you catch yourself drifting off. To survive Dr. Peterson's boring history lectures functions as an adjective because it modifies way. Kelvin, an aspiring comic book artist, is taking Anatomy and Physiology this semester to understand the interplay of muscle and bone in the human body. To understand the interplay of muscle and bone in the human body functions as an adverb because it explains why Kelvin is taking the class. Punctuate an infinitive phrase correctly. When an infinitive phrase introduces a main clause, separate the two sentence components with a comma. The pattern looks like this: Infinitive Phrae + , + Main Clause. Read this example: To avoid burning another bag of popcorn, Brendan pressed his nose against the microwave door, sniffing suspiciously. When an infinitive phrase breaks the flow of a main clause, use a comma both before and after theinterrupter. The pattern looks like this:
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