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Advanced English Grammar: The Infinitive Clause & The Infinitive Phrase
What is aninfinitive clause? What is an infinitive phrase? You might be interested to learn that this sentence includes an infinitive clause (“to learn that…”). It’s a clause that includes an infinitive followed by a noun clause used together as a complement to what preceded it. Well, that sounds complicated, but if you watch the lesson with me, we’ll go through it step-by-step. You’ll learn the construction, usage, and have plenty of examples and practice. Let’s start.
Quiz
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Test your understanding of the English lesson by answering these questions. You will get the answers and your score at the end of the quiz.Levels
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52 COMMENTS
That’s a nice lesson. I wonder if that would be possible to get a lesson on “EMBEDDED CLAUSES” the one where Adverb Clause can be inside an Adverb Clause.
I’ll try to get on that Victor ;)
A very difficult subjet, even in my mother tongue have problems (sometimes) to understand it.
Yes, Pedrop, it’s confusing for many people. Watch it again and take the quiz. It will get easier with practice.
You´re an expert on the grammar field, Adam.
Thanks a lot for your lesson!!
It would be great if you could make a video with the differences between to+verb or ing at the beginning of a sentence. I´m always confused with that. As an example (using one of yours):
– To feel (that) you´re special is crucial to develop a sense of security.
OR
– Feeling (that) you´re special is crucial to develop a sense of security.
Are both correct???Differences between each one??
Thanks again!!!
I’ll try to make a video, but in the meantime both can be correct as subjects. The main difference is really that one is action (to verb) and the other is situation or activity (ing). In many cases there is little difference (it’s more of a nuance).
In other cases it should be obvious:
Smoking is prohibited indoors.
To smoke is prohibited indoors.
The first is the better choice because it refers to this general activity, not the action of standing there puffing on a cigarette.
Not sure if this is clear, but I’ll try to explain it in more detail in a video.
Hello, I think there is an error in the transcription, as of minute 6:20
Great lesson Adam.
Hi Enrique,
I think it’s ok. I repeated myself, so it may seem like it was doubled. Is this what you are referring to?
Is it below the correct sentence in terms of grammar and natural sound?
“I am happy to visit you to discuss the final reports to get better results.”
Thanks, Adam!
Hi HD,
Yes, that sounds ok. To visit is a complement to happy. To discuss is a complement to visit and to get is a complement to discuss.
That said, a better choice of verbs would be would instead of am:
I would be happy to visit you to discuss the final reports to get better results.
Hope this helps.
Sir. Adam, I hope you would make a topic about embedded clause.
I’ll get on that Carlo.
i got full score
thanks a lot, Mr.Adam
Hi,Adam! Your grammatical lessons are improving my English a lot. It is a powerful mortar that holds the bricks as I am building my knowledge in English language.
Thank you!
Thank you.
Hi thanks for the lesson adam
Hi adam, I’m teaching English to some students in middle school. There are some questions that I want you to ask. I always explain some grammar concepts by telling them that ” English grammar almost is “not rule”(of course, to eats(x) –>rule)but “guideline” It is used by native’s state of mind. They can’t count salt but can count viruses, in BrE, the word “family” is plural but AmE is singular word. Am I doing well? also, whenever I look up some words in English dictionary, I still hesitate to understand all word’s meaning. 1.understanding all meaning of a word 2.watching meaning that I have to find, what is the more suitable for ESL students?(for me not my students)
Hi Killi,
Yes, you are doing well :)
Some words have multiple meanings and uses. It’s better to study vocabulary in terms of context. In this way, you will learn the different meanings as they come up. Learning all the dictionary meanings won’t help if you don’t know when to use each.
Try learning and teaching new words in groups based on scenarios and situations.
Hope this helps.
Mr. Adam,
I need your help. It’s about the sentence structure. The original sentence says: “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Could I write: “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”? As you can see, I omitted the word “where”. Is the sentence still correct, or I have to use the adverb “where”?
Thank you for your time, you are the greatest!
As I know, the obvious noun like time or place etc.. can omit relative adverb like when or where… and can write “that” for alternation of them
but it is rather informal expression.
Thank you Killi for replying to my comment. I appreciate your will to help. The point you made is clear, but let’s wait for Adam’s explanation on this so we know for sure. Regards!
Hi Marko,
Actually, Killi’s answer is correct. Place implies the where.
Just a note to both of you:
In this sentence, where starts an adjective clause. The only place–which place? the one where…–To remove conjunctions from adverb clauses need to create participle.
Does this help?
very complicated, but I keep studying.
Hi Adam
which is more correct “when did you last go to the cinema?” or “when was the last time you went to the cinema?”
thanks in advance
Hi Alishka,
Both are correct. “When did you last go…” is a little more formal.
Also the meanings are slightly different. When did you last do something suggests this is a common action. When was the last time suggests it has been some time that you haven’t done something.
Does this help?
Adam: Can the infinitive clauses and phrases be also adjectives and adverbs aside from nouns?
Hi Angela,
I’m sorry, I don’t really understand the question. Are you asking if they can be used as single modifiers in place or regular adjectives and adverbs? If this is the question, then the answer is no.
Can you give me an example of what you mean?
Adam , thank you I enjoyed your lesson but it’s all was vague and I don’t know how to use or identify them in a sentence I was hoping that you would write all the information about clauses but you said them while your teaching , I should admit I didn’t get it .
If you tell me more clear I would appreciate it.
Hi Zahrahomayouni,
I’m actually working on a clauses book. I hope to have it ready this summer. I will keep you posted.
Frankly, the reason why i got 5 out of 10 is because i was so confuse about the answers which I think Adam forgot to mention in his lesson that the infinitive verb literally contains an object once after it…
Hi Kyle,
Transitive verbs in any tense will need an object. It doesn’t matter what the verb is used for.
Excellent job on this topic!
Thanks everyone :)
Hi Adan: here is the example you asked for:
When Mary was sent to Misselthwaite to live with her uncle, everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. What is the function of the infinitive”to live with her uncle” is that a noun, an adjective or an adverb?
Thanks for your reply.
Hi Angela,
In this sentence, to live is an adverb complement. It completes the meaning of sent (where? Misselthwaite; why? to live…).
In this case it’s an infinitive complement phrase.
Does this help?
Hi Adam. Another fantastic video lesson!
Thanks a lot for your help. You are great!
Thank you Mr. Adam! One should be careful not to mix up complement with compliment, as I did.
Amazing explanation!!! I give a 10 to these
Dear Adam,
The vedio is very useful for sentence writing and to learn how to expand the simple sentense to more detailed one. My two boys and me enjoy your teaching very much. will you do more sentence expanding kind of vedio more? I hope it not too much to ask.
Enjoy your day!
Caroline
7/9！ Good! Grammar is a crazy thing in the world!
I got 9 correct out of 9!Thanks!
Many thanks for this precious lesson. I got 8/9 due to an unclear point which is the second question.
The infinitive clause functions as a _______ to what came before it.
“Ask him to find out what she wanted”
As per the video, (to find out what she wanted) acts as an object to the verb “ask” (what before the infinitive clause). I am confused at this point, I appreciate it if you could clarify it for me
Furthermore, the following example:
To feel that you are special is crucial to develop a sense of security.
It’s crucial to develop a sense of security (to feel that you are special)
When we relocate the subject (to feel that you are special) to the end of the sentence, will it act as a complement in this case?
Adam:
I am challenging the answer to the second quiz question; it could be answered as either an object or a complement. Your video at the 5.30-minute mark says, the infinite clause-to find out what she wanted-is an object to the verb-ask. Therefore, an infinitive clause can be used an object to a verb that comes before it.
CSS
I can’t say thank you enough for this lesson, Adam. I do struggle with this particular phrase and have been struggling with it for some time; however, one of the most difficult area of my struggles is punctuating complex sentences with the ‘to- infinitive’. Truly appreciative!
It’s always useful to get the origin approach to the point. In Russia teachers used to name the structure as “OBJECTIVE WITH THE INFINITIVE”.
Thanks a lot for your lessons, Adam.
I wonder if that would be possible to get some lessons on other phrases such as “noun phrase”, “adjective phrase”, “adverb phrase”, “prepositional phrase”, “Participle phrase” and “gerund phrase”.
Thank you Sir!
A little bit confusing. Thanks anyway, I got 6 of 9.
7/9
Adam, thanks a lot!
I’m a bit confused by the last example: the infinitive phrase as a subject. I thought infinitive phrases could NOT be followed by noun clauses. I thought they could only be followed by noun phrases.
“To feel that you are special..” Isn’t “that you are special” a noun clause because of the conjunction “that?” Isn’t this an infinitive verb (to feel) followed by a noun clause? (that you are special) Did I miss something?
Regarding my previous comment above: I meant to say,”I thought that in infinitive phrases the infinitive verb could NOT be followed by a noun clause. I thought the infinitive verb could only be followed by a noun phrase.