Infinitive Subjects: referring to activities

Infinitive as Subject

Shakespeare

"To be, or not to be,
that is the question."

Referring to activities, quotes and definitions

An Infinitive vs. A Gerund Subject

SUBJECT - INFINITIVE CLAUSE			SUBJECT - GERUND CLAUSE
An infintive or infinitive clause tends to refer to activities in a more general way. The infinitive is a reduced verbal form that 1) is not marked for— tense, or person and 2) does not commonly have a subject. When in the subject position, it is usually followed by be or a stative verb. (See states of being or emotion. List) An infinitive is less commonly used to begin a sentence than a gerund except in dictionary definitions and quotes.			A gerund or gerund clause is more commonly used at the beginning of a sentence than an infinitive or infinitive clause. In most cases, a gerund or infinitive functioning as subject are interchangable. Sometimes, a slight difference in meaning exists. The infinitive may suggest a future, predicted or imagined activity, while a gerund suggests an ongoing, existing, habitual activity. See 2a. vs. 2b. or 3a. vs. 3b.
INFINITIVE CLAUSE 1a.To start a sentence with an infinitive [That a person starts] a sentence with an infinitive	STATIVE VERB is	COMPLEMENT awkward.	GERUND CLAUSE 1b.Starting a sentence with a gerund (means the same as the infinitive)	STATIVE VERB sounds	COMPLEMENT fine.
2a. To speak five languages well [That a person speaks] five languages well	could be	an advantage.	2b. Speaking five languages well	is	an advantage.
3a.To be around her all day [That we are to be] around her all day	would be	tiring.	3b. Being around her all day	becomes	tiring.

complement – a word, phrase or clause which is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning.

Initial vs. Final Placement with "It"

AN INFINITVE CLAUSE AS SUBJECT			IT + BE (ADJ) TO
An infinitive or an infinitive clause can be the subject of a clause. A similar meaning may be expressed with It as the subject placeholder of the infinitive clause.			More commonly, an infinitive is placed at the end of the clause. It, a "dummy pronoun" which has no particular meaning, serves as the subject placeholder while the "heavier content" is placed at the end of the clause.
SUBJECT To travel	STATIVE VERB is	COMPLEMENT exciting. (adjective)	PLACEHOLDER It	STATIVE VERB is exciting	DISPLACED SUBJECT to travel.
To explore the Web	is	entertaining. (adjective)	It	is entertaining	to explore the Web.
To speak five languages well	would be	ideal.	It	would be ideal	to speak five languages well.
To be around her all day	becomes	tiring.	It	is tiring	to be around her all day.
To travel to New York	takes	three hours.	It	takes three hours	to travel to New York.

Also see It-clause Expressions, It Clefs, *It takes + Infinitive

Including a Subject with Initial vs. Final Placement

AN INFINITVE CLAUSE with a SUBJECT		IT + BE (ADJ) TO
The subject of an infinitive clause is expressed as [for + noun] (accusative pronoun). The person mentioned after the subordinator for is the "doer" of the activity in the infinitive clause.		The subject of the infinitive clause is also expressed as [for + noun] when the clause is placed at the end of the sentence.
INFINITIVE CLAUSE WITH A SUBJECT For us to travel	VERB + ADJ COMPLEMENT is exciting. (adjective)	IT + VERB + ADJ It is exciting	INFINITIVE CLAUSE WITH A SUBJECT for us to travel.
For them to browse the Web	is entertaining. (adjective)	It is entertaining	for them to browse the Web.
For me to speak five languages well.	would be ideal.	It would be ideal	for me to speak five languages well.
For him to be around her all day.	becomes tiring.	It is tiring	for him to be around her all day.
For Edward to communte to New York.	takes three hours.	It takes three hours	for Edward to communte to New York.

The subject of an infinitive clause is expressed as [for + noun] (accusative pronoun). Also see (CaGEL 1178)

Infinitives in quotes and definitions

QUOTES	DEFINITIONS
Infinitives are commonly used in quotes.	Infinitives are commonly used in dictionary definitions. This is believed to date back to a time when grammarians likened the English infinitive (to + base form) to Latin and French language infinitives (one inflected word).
To believe is very dull.	KNOW – 1. To perceive directly; grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty. 2. To regard as true beyond doubt: "I know she won't fail." 3. To have a practical understanding of, as through experience; be skilled in: "knows how to cook." 4. To have fixed in the mind: "knows her Latin verbs." 5. To have experience of: "a black stubble that had known no razor"-- ;William Faulkner 6. To be acquainted with: "He doesn't know his neighbors." 7. To be able to distinguish; recognize as distinct: "knows right from wrong." 8. To discern the character or nature of: "knew him for a liar." 9. Archaic To have sexual intercourse with .
To doubt is intensely engrossing.
To be on the alert is to live.
To be lulled into security is to die. -Oscar Wilde

Grammar Notes

Traditional Grammar vs. Linguistic Description

(Advanced)

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR	LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION
In traditional grammer, the infinitive is described as a verbal-noun. The infinitive form is to + verb. In formal usage, one never spits an infinitive, nor does one leave "to" at the end of a sentence — an issue with this two-word verbal form. This origin of this description dates back to a time when grammarians likened English verbs to French and Latin verbs. To the Infinitival Marker "Traditional grammar treats [to give] as a form of of the lexeme give, as if it were an inflectional prefix, comparable to the inflectional suffix that marks the infinitive in such languages as Latin and French. This is quite inappropriate for English. The evidence [below] shows that to is not syntactically in construction with the verb base, let alone morphologically bound to it."— (CaGEL 1183-4)	In current grammar, the infinitive is the "plain form" (base verb form). The subordintator to often, but not always, occurs with the plain form, with some exceptions being: dare, need, help, can, may, will, should, would, etc. In modern linguistics, the particle to is described as a subordinator. The infinitive includes to + "plain form" (base verb form). "It is important that to enters into construction with a VP [verb phrase] not just a verb."(CaGEL 1183-7) Also see the note on "Split-infinitives". (There's nothing to split!) Also see "A Student's Introduction to English Grammar" (31 – 37; 206; 212) Link Also see (Swan 279-281)
Reed-Kellog System – Link	Parse Tree – Link Click to enlarge.

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR

LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION

In traditional grammer, the infinitive is described as a verbal-noun. The infinitive form is to + verb. In formal usage, one never spits an infinitive, nor does one leave "to" at the end of a sentence — an issue with this two-word verbal form. This origin of this description dates back to a time when grammarians likened English verbs to French and Latin verbs.

To the Infinitival Marker "Traditional grammar treats [to give] as a form of of the lexeme give, as if it were an inflectional prefix, comparable to the inflectional suffix that marks the infinitive in such languages as Latin and French. This is quite inappropriate for English. The evidence [below] shows that to is not syntactically in construction with the verb base, let alone morphologically bound to it."— (CaGEL 1183-4)

In current grammar, the infinitive is the "plain form" (base verb form). The subordintator to often, but not always, occurs with the plain form, with some exceptions being: dare, need, help, can, may, will, should, would, etc.

In modern linguistics, the particle to is described as a subordinator. The infinitive includes to + "plain form" (base verb form). "It is important that to enters into construction with a VP [verb phrase] not just a verb."(CaGEL 1183-7) Also see the note on "Split-infinitives". (There's nothing to split!) Also see "A Student's Introduction to English Grammar" (31 – 37; 206; 212) Link Also see (Swan 279-281)

Reed-Kellog System – Link

Parse Tree – Link

Click to enlarge.

CATEGORIES: NP –noun phrase; N – noun; VP – verb phrase; V – verb; Det – determiner; PP – prepositional phrase; P – preposition; AdvP – adverb phrase; Adv – adverb; AdjP– adjective phrase; Adj – adjective
FUNCTIONS: Subject: Subject, Predicate: Predicator (V) Complements: (elements required by verb) Object, Indirect Object, Predicative Complement Adjuncts: (optional modifiers) Adj, Adv

Resources / Works Cited

Practice

Restating Infinitive Phrases

(Parallel Infinitive Use)

Change the 'infinitive' phrase to a 'gerund' phrase .
Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.

#	YOUR RESPONSE	ANSWER
e.g.	To know is nothing at all; to imagine is everything. (To know) (to imagine)	Knowing is nothing at all; imagining is everything.
1.	To live is to learn. (To live) is (to learn)	is
2.	To know is to care. (To know) is (to care)	is
3.	To know what we know and to know what we do not know -- that is understanding. (To know) (to know)	what we know and what we do not know -- that is understanding.
4.	To see is to believe. (To see) is (to believe)	is
5.	To think something does not cause as much trouble as to say something. (To think) and (to say)	something does not cause as much trouble as something.
6.	To be successful in love, one must know how to begin and when to stop. (To be)	successful in love, one must know how to begin and when to stop.
7.	To give lip service to someone requires little effort. lip service = to say what others want to hear	lip service to someone requires little effort.
8.	To know all is to forgive all. (To know) and (to forgive)	all is all.
9.	To stumble once is better than to always be tottering. (To stumble) (to be) stumble = to lose one's balance and fall totter = to be about to fall; to be unsteady on one's feet	once is better than always tottering.
10.	To forgive is heavenly, to forget is divine. (To forgive) (to forget)	is heavenly, is divine.

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