Sabbatical-year Sentence Examples

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.

Every January 1st, we all have the opportunity to start fresh. But we also have a hidden grammatical opportunity: We can either wish party-goers and resolution-makers a “Happy New Year!” or a “Happy New Years!” If they both sound equally correct, don’t worry — soon the incorrect version will sound more like a squawking noisemaker than a proper greeting.