Diagram a Sentence.

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Katherine99

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Can someone diagram or parse the following sentence: Let's drive to the library to borrow a book. I'm having a hard time with drive. Is it an infinitive phrase with an implied to?

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philo2009

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Can someone diagram or parse the following sentence: Let's drive to the library to borrow a book. I'm having a hard time with drive. Is it an infinitive phrase with an implied to?

Thanks

Yes, it is an infinitive, although I'm not sure why you imagine that a 'to' has to be implied...
 

Katherine99

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Hi Philo,

Isn't it implied because it's not there. Doesn't an infinitive begin with to and then the verb to form and infinitive phrase. If there is no to in front of drive how do I know that it's an infinitive? Can you tell me if the rest of the sentence analysis is correct?

"Let's drive to the library to borrow a book." -->
(you) = subject
let = verb
us (to) drive = infinitive - direct object of "let"
us = subject of infinitive
(to) drive = infinitive
to borrow a book = infinitive - adverb modifier of "drive"
 

philo2009

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Hi Philo,

Doesn't an infinitive begin with to and then the verb...?

No, although this is an extremely common misapprehension. An infinitive is a single word, consisting in the uninflected base-form of the verb.

It can be preceded by 'to' where syntax demands, but the presence or absence of the latter in no way affects its status as an infinitive.
 
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Katherine99

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No, although this is an extremely common misapprehension. An infinitive is a single word, consisting in the uninflected base-form of the verb.

It can be preceded by 'to' where syntax demands, but the presence or absence of the latter in no way affects its status as an infinitive.

Thank You. Can an ifinitive phrase have a subject or any phrase for that matter? In the sentence, "Let's drive to the library to borrow a book." , is 's (us) the suject of the infinitive phrase (drive to the library to borrow a book)?
 

Katherine99

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Thank You. Can an ifinitive phrase have a subject or any phrase for that matter? In the sentence, "Let's drive to the library to borrow a book." , is 's (us) the suject of the infinitive phrase (drive to the library to borrow a book)?

I would really appreciate if someone would answer the question above.
 

philo2009

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Thank You. Can an ifinitive phrase have a subject or any phrase for that matter? In the sentence, "Let's drive to the library to borrow a book." , is 's (us) the suject of the infinitive phrase (drive to the library to borrow a book)?

Yes, 'we' could be said to be the implied subject of the infinitive.
 
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