Infinitive Phrases

An infinitive and an infinitive phrase always...begin with

• to + a noun

• to + verb

• to + a preposition

• to + any other word

Which of the following is NOT an example of an infinitive?

• I went to the store to buy new pants.

• I went to the store to buy new pants.

• Joe prefers to take his time on tests to increase his chances of success.

• Joe prefers to take his time on tests to increase his chances of success.

Which of the following statements about how commas are used with infinitive phrases is NOT true.

• Use a comma after an introductory infinitive phrase

• Use commas around an infinitive phrase in the middle of a sentence when it interrupts the flow.

• Use commas before an infinitive at the end of a sentence.

Which of the following BEST describes infinitive phrases?

• An infinitive phrase continues past the infinitive

• An infinitive phrase sometimes contains other objects

• An infinitive phrase sometimes contains other modifiers

• All of the above are true

After her junior year of high school, Walls moved away from home to live in New York City.

What is the infinitive in the sentence above?

• After her junior year

• of high school

• to live

• to live in New York City.

After her junior year of high school, Walls moved away from home to live in New York City.

What is the COMPLETE infinitive phrase in the sentence above?

• After her junior year

• of high school

• to live

• to live in New York City.

She currently lives in Virginia with her husband John Taylor and continues to contribute regularly to MSNBC.

What is the COMPLETE infinitive phrase in the sentence above?

• to contribute regularly to MSNBC

• in Virginia

• to contribute

• to MSNBC

She had tied rags around her shoulders to keep out the spring chill and was picking through the trash.

What is the COMPLETE infinitive phrase in the sentence above

• around her shoulder to keep

• picking through the trash

• to keep out the spring chill

• She had tied rags

She had tied rags around her shoulders to keep out the spring chill and was picking through the trash.

• NO CHANGE

• To keep out the spring chill she had tied rags around her shoulders and was picking through the trash.

• To keep out the spring chill, she had tied rags around her shoulders and was picking through the trash.

• She had tied rags around her shoulders and was picking through the trash to keep out the spring chill

I slid down in the seat and asked the driver to turn around.

What is the infinitive phrase?

• in the seat

• asked the driver

• to turn

• to turn around