What is infinitive?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Suthipong

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Thai
Home Country
Thailand
Current Location
Thailand
The word "infinitive" appears frequently in grammar study but I have never had stable understanding of this word.
Please give me a brief explanation and some examples.
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
The word "infinitive" appears frequently in grammar study but I have never had stable understanding of this word.
Please give me a brief explanation and some examples.

A verb in its infinitive form is not conjugated, that is to say its in its base form.
Examples would be all verbs.
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
The word "infinitive" appears frequently in grammar study but I have never had stable understanding of this word.
Please give me a brief explanation and some examples.
"to speak", "to be", "to walk" - these are infinitive forms of those verbs.
The bare form, 'speak', 'be', 'walk' is sometimes called the bare infinitive (because it doesn't have 'to' attached).

The following are not infinitive forms of 'speak': "speaks, spoke, spoken, speaking ..."
 

Suthipong

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Thai
Home Country
Thailand
Current Location
Thailand
Thank you. bhaisahab, Raymott
I learned English by old way of teaching: teachers taught me grammar by explaining its rule and wrote on blackboard.
One of the grammar item was "Infinitive without to" that I still remember the headline untill now. But I don't remember its substances.
My question is.
Is "Infinitive without to" is the same as "bare infinitive"?
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
Thank you. bhaisahab, Raymott
I learned English by old way of teaching: teachers taught me grammar by explaining its rule and wrote on blackboard.
One of the grammar item was "Infinitive without to" that I still remember the headline untill now. But I don't remember its substances.
My question is.
Is "Infinitive without to" is the same as "bare infinitive"?
Yes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top