INFINITIVE

Arranged by group 6:
Ahmad Muflih
Nurfadillah
Rosnani

PROGRAM S1 PENDIDIKAN BAHASA INGGRIS

FAKULTAS KEGURUAN DAN ILMU PENDIDIKAN
UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH
MAKASSAR
2021
 PREFACE

First of all, the writer wants to express his thanks to Allah SWT, because of His bless

and grace, the entitled ” Diphthongs” can be finished on time.

This paper is a requirement to fulfill the assignment from Hj. Ilmiah, S.Pd., M.Pd, the

lecturer of Intermediate Grammar Course. The writer also thanks to her for all the guidance to

complete it.

In completing this paper, the writer faced many problems, but with the help of many

people, all the problems could be passed. May Allah SWT give the blessing for them. Although

this paper has many deficiencies in the arrangement and explanation, the writer hope that it can

be used as a reference for the reader to understand the infinitive in English grammar.

Makassar, October 22, 2021

Author

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

PREFACE.........................................................................................................................................i
TABLE OF CONTENT..................................................................................................................ii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................1
CHAPTER II DISCUSSION...........................................................................................................2
A. Definition of Infinitives........................................................................................................2
B. Using Infinitives...................................................................................................................2
C. INFINITIVES AS NOUNS..................................................................................................2
D. AS ADJECTIVES................................................................................................................4
E. AS ADVERBS (Adverb of purpose)....................................................................................5
F. LONE INFINITIVES...........................................................................................................6
G. INFINITIVES IN CAUSATIVE (Bare Infinitive)...............................................................7
H. AFTER MODALS................................................................................................................7
CHAPTER III CLOSING................................................................................................................8
A. Conclusion............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

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 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A.    Background
Grammar is at the heart of language, mastery of it is very important for language learners.
The meaning of the utterance is determined by several aspects/directors. One of them is
grammar, when the grammar of the speech is wrong, the meaning of the sentence; the penalty is
slightly wrong. Therefore, it is important for English learners to understand grammar, one of
which is the infinitive
B.    Problem Formulation
1. What is Infinitive?
2. What is the function of Infinitive ?

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 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION
CHAPTER II DISCUSSION
A. Definition of Infinitives

Infinitives are the most basic construction of a verb. When we talk of a verb as a general
concept, we usually use the infinitive form, it has 3 kinds :

a.) Bare Infinitive : base form of verb, without any addition or we can simply
say verb 1. For example; be, go, have play, study
b.) Additional infinitive : a verb which has addition “s/es” at the end of the word.
For example; is/am/are/, goes, has, studies
c.) To Infinitive : a verb 1which is preceded by the particle to. Infinitives
are known as non-finite verbs, meaning they do not express actions being performed by
the subjects of clauses. Instead, infinitives function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs to
describe actions as ideas. For example : to be, to go, to have, to study.

B. Using Infinitives

To Infinitives are used to express an action as a concept, rather than what is being done or
performed by the subject of a clause. In this way, they can function as nouns, adjectives, or
adverbs—that is, nearly any role in a sentence except that of a main verb.

C. INFINITIVES AS NOUNS

We can divide infinitive as nouns, they are a) as subject, b) as object, c)

1) As a subject
For example:
 To study mathematics at Harvard was her ultimate dream.

2) As subjective complement

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A subject complement is a word or phrase that says something about the subject. Subject
complements are common after the linking word ‘be’.

For example:
 “All I want is to be left alone.”
 “The best thing in life is to spend time with those you love.”
 “The best we can hope for is to break even.”
 The most important thing is to remain optimistic.
 My advice is to file a complaint at once.
 The decision was to extend the deadline by three months.


3) As Object
a. As direct objects
A direct object is a person or thing that directly receives the action of the
verb in a clause. For example :
 Please be quiet; I’m trying to study.
 Let me know if you decide to leave early.

b. As Object in reported speech

For example;
 “He asked to help us fix the car.”
 “She said not to answer the phone.”
 “He demanded to speak to the manager.”
 “They offered to take me to the airport.”
c. As object complements
An infinitive or infinitive phrase acts as an object complement by describing the
intended or desired action of the direct object.
For example;
 “I don’t expect you to approve of my decision.”
 “She’s forcing me to work through the weekend.”

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  “We need you to make a few more copies.”
 “Janet’s father wants her to go to Harvard.”
 “I would like the boss to see these reports.”
 “He persuaded me to marry him.”

D. AS ADJECTIVES

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 When infinitives are used as adjectives, they function in a similar way to relative
clauses (also known as adjective clauses), providing more information about a noun or
pronoun that they appear directly after.
An adjective is a word that describes more information about a noun. An infinitive
act as an adjective if it modifies or describes a noun in a sentence
For example:
 “This is a good place to start reading.” (To start reading modifies the noun place.)
 “Give your brother something to play with.” (To play with modifies the pronoun
something.)
 “Find a friend to help you study.” (To help you study modifies the noun friend.)

 This is the best time to practice.

 I have some jeans to wash.
 Joyce needs a table to read on

1. After An adjective

E. AS ADVERBS (Adverb of purpose)

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 We can also use infinitives as adverbs to modify the main verb in a sentence,
describing a reason why an action is, was, or will be done. Infinitives used in this way are
often known as infinitives of purpose. For example:
 “I started running to improve my health.”
We can also use the phrases in order and so as to add formal emphasis to an
infinitive of purpose, as in:
 “We must leave now in order to catch our train.”
 “He’s been studying all week so as to improve his grades.”
another explanation :

F. LONE INFINITIVES

We can also use infinitives in this way as isolated responses to questions asking
why something is done or is the case. For example:
• Speaker A: “Why are you going to New York?”
• Speaker B: “To see the Empire State Building.”
• Speaker A: “Why did you turn on the TV?”
• Speaker B: “To watch the news.”
These responses are known as elliptical sentences, meaning that part of the sentence
has been omitted because it is implied. In this case, the implied section is “because I
wanted… .” As this element is implicitly understood, we often leave it out entirely and
simply use the infinitive on its own.

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G. INFINITIVES IN CAUSATIVE (Bare Infinitive)

The base form is also used after the direct object of certain action verbs, such as let,
help, and make, as well as after verbs of the senses, such as hear, see, and feel.
Let’s look at some examples of these below. The bare infinitives (base forms) are in bold,
while the main verbs are underlined and the direct objects are italicized:
 “Please let me go to the party, mom.” (Please give me permission to go.)
 “His father makes him study.” (His father forces him to study.)
 “Jack is helping me clean the garage.” (Jack is cleaning the garage with
 me.)
 “He heard me shout.” (He could that I was shouting.)
 “I saw her look in my direction.” (I could see that she was looking in my
 direction.)
 “I felt him touch my arm.” (I could feel that he touched my arm.)
(Note that these are not the only verbs that can be followed by bare infinitives.)

H. AFTER MODALS

The base forms of verbs are also used after modals (can, will, shall, had better, may,
might, etc)
 You had better clean this up before your father gets home.
 I will go to Japan next week.
 She can drive a car
 He may be the top earning player in the game.

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 CHAPTER III
CLOSING
CHAPTER III CLOSING
A. Conclusion
To Infinitive is a basic verb that gets addition of to which does not act as a verb but rather
as an adjective, noun and adverb.

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 REFERENCES

7esl. 2021. “Infinitives: What Is An Infinitive? Functions & Examples”,

https://7esl.com/infinitives/, diakses pada tanggal 18 Oktober 2021 pukul 21.20.
Azar, Betty Schrampfer, Hagen, Stacy A. (2017). Understanding and Using English Grammar
(5th ed). Pearson.
Peter Herring (2016). The Farlex Grammar Book: Complete English Grammar Rules. Create
Space.