Phrase-book sentence example

You guessed it. Infinitive phrases include infinitives. So, what is an infinitive? It’s a "to + verb" construct. When “to” is attached to a verb in this manner, it’s no longer working as a preposition. Rather, it becomes part of the verb. Examples include, “to walk,” “to read,” or “to eat.” Infinitives can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

As a noun, they might act as the subject of the sentence. For example, “To travel is the only thing on her mind.” As an adjective, they’ll modify a noun. For example, “ShuYi always brings a book to read.” As an adverb, they’ll modify verbs, other adjectives, or other adverbs. For example, “Katherine braved the windstorm to search for her lost dog.”

With a firm grasp on infinitives and their "to + verb" constructions, let’s explore the world of infinitive phrases.

A phrase is a group of words that express a concept and is used as a unit within a sentence. Eight common types of phrases are: noun, verb, gerund, infinitive, appositive, participial, prepositional, and absolute. Take a look at our selection of phrase examples below.