'to'-infinitives

Learn about the infinitive form of a verb and do the exercises to practise using it.

Level: beginner

Verbs with to-infinitives

We use the to-infinitive after certain verbs (verbs followed by to-infinitive), particularly verbs of thinking and feeling:

choose
decide
expect
forget
hate
hope
intend
learn
like
love
mean
plan
prefer
remember
want
would like/love

They decided to start a business together.
Remember to turn the lights off.

and verbs of saying:

agree promise refuse threaten

We agreed to meet at the cinema.
Promise to call me every day.

Some verbs are followed by a direct object and then the to-infinitive:

advise
ask
encourage
expect
intend
invite
order
persuade
remind
tell
want
warn
would like/love
would prefer


 

He encouraged his friends to vote for him.
Remind me to give Julia a call.

Verbs with to-infinitive 1

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Verbs with to-infinitive 2

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Infinitive of purpose

We also use the to-infinitive to express purpose (to answer why?):

He bought some flowers to give to his wife.
He locked the door to keep everyone out.

We can also express purpose with in order to and in order not to:

We started our journey early in order to avoid the traffic.
They spoke quietly in order not to wake the children.

or so as to and so as not to:

We started our journey early so as to avoid the traffic.
They spoke quietly so as not to wake the children.

Infinitive of purpose 1

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Infinitive of purpose 2

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Level: intermediate

Adjectives with to-infinitives

We use the to-infinitive after certain adjectives:

able
unable
anxious
due
eager
keen
likely
unlikely
ready
prepared
willing
unwilling

Unfortunately, I was unable to work for over a week.
I'm really tired. I'm ready to go to bed.

Sometimes the to-infinitive gives a reason for the adjective:

amazed
delighted
disappointed
glad
happy
pleased
proud
relieved
sad
sorry
surprised
unhappy

We were happy to come to the end of our journey.
(= We were happy because we had come to the end of our journey.)
John was surprised to see me.
(= He was surprised because he saw me.)

We often use it + be followed by an adjective to give opinions:

clever
difficult
easy
foolish
hard
kind
nice
possible
impossible
right
wrong
silly

It's easy to play the piano, but it's very difficult to play well.
He spoke so quickly that it was impossible to understand him.

We use the to-infinitive with these adjectives to give opinions about people:

clever
foolish
kind
nice
right
wrong
silly
 

She was right to complain about that hotel.
You were clever to find the answer so quickly.

We use the preposition for to show who these adjectives refer to:

difficult easy hard possible impossible

It was difficult for us to hear what she was saying.
It is easy for you to criticise other people.

With the other adjectives, we use the preposition of:

It's kind of you to help.
It would be silly of him to spend all his money.

Adjectives with to-infinitive 1

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Adjectives with to-infinitive 2

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Level: advanced

Nouns with to-infinitives

We use the to-infinitive as a postmodifier (see noun phrases) after abstract nouns like:

ability
attempt
chance
desire
failure
need
opportunity
refusal
wish

They gave him an opportunity to escape.
He was annoyed by her refusal to answer.
I have no desire to be rich.
There is no need to shout.

We often use the to-infinitive as a postmodifier after indefinite pronouns:

When I am travelling I always take something to read.
I was all alone. I had no one to talk to.
There is hardly anything to do in most of these small towns.

Nouns with to-infinitive 1

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Nouns with to-infinitive 2

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Submitted by arcebelando on Thu, 18/05/2023 - 02:59

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Hello! Could you please elaborate the difference between these two sentences?
I like to go to the park.
I like going to the park.

Hello arcebelando,

The first thing to note is that there is a lot overlap between these two forms and the distinction in use is more a tendency than a hard and fast rule.

  • We generally use like + -ing when we want to say that we enjoy an activity. In other words, I like going to the park means that when you go to the park you feel pleasure.
  • We generally use like + to verb when we are talking about preferences, especially how we like to organise things. In other words, I like to go to the park would normally be used to describe a habit or a choice of activity. This form is often associated with a time or a place: I like to go to the park in the morning rather than the afternoon as there are fewer people around.

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Mister Chris on Fri, 31/03/2023 - 03:10

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So, we have "infinitive of purpose", are they any other specific infinitives? "Infinitives of...."?

I hope that makes sense, thank you

Hello Mister Chris,

I can't think of any other 'infinitive of ...' off the top of my head, but please note that it can be used in many, many ways.

All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Amir__760__ on Fri, 17/03/2023 - 09:55

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Hi support team
I'm struggling with the two sentences below. Could you help me please?

all they need to do is call off strikes  which are unnecessary and benefit no one. ( this sentence is written by Minister of Britain education).

all they need to do is "to" call off strikes which are unnecessary and benefit no one.( this is my sentence)

I think using "to" is necessary. Am I wrong? If I'm, tell me the reason.

Hi Amir__760__,

Both sentences are grammatically fine. I think "to" can be omitted because it is given earlier in the sentence (All they need to do ...).

In comparison, in the following sentence the "to" is necessary, and cannot be omitted: All they need is to call off strikes ... .

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by howtosay_ on Wed, 15/03/2023 - 01:19

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Hello!

Could you please help me with the following:

Could you please tell me which one (if any) is correct:

1. I went to the shop yesterday to buy some chocolate.

2. I went to the shop to buy some chocolate yesterday.

As far as I remember, time phrases usually go to the end of a sentence, but I am hesitant concerning this one.

I appreciate your huge help a lot and yhank you very much for helping me with this issue beforehand!!!

Hello howtosay_,

Both of these are fine. You could also start the sentence with 'Yesterday' and it would also be correct.

There's quite a bit of flexibility with time adverbials (as well as many other types of adverbials). The Cambridge Dictionary Grammar has a useful page on adverb position that I'd recommend having a look at.

All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by howtosay_ on Wed, 04/01/2023 - 02:46

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Hello!

Could you please explain if it is possible to use "in order" in such a way:

"She told me the lies in order I go there" or "I've gone to the bank in order they cannot pay by my credit card"? I'm very hesitant about this structure.

Thank you so much for your precious work and thank you for answering this post beforehand!!!

Hello howtosay_,

Those are not correct, I'm afraid.

The most common way to use this is to say 'in order to' and follow it with a base verb:

She told me the lies in order to make me go there.

She told me the lies in order to send me there.

 

You can also use the construction 'in order that', usually followed by a modal verb:

She told me the lies in order that I would go there.

It's quite a formal expression; so that is much more common and function in a similar way.

 

You can read more about these forms here:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/so-that-or-in-order-that

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello howtosay_,

Those are not correct, I'm afraid.

The most common way to use this is to say 'in order to' and follow it with a base verb:

She told me the lies in order to make me go there.

She told me the lies in order to send me there.

 

You can also use the construction 'in order that', usually followed by a modal verb:

She told me the lies in order that I would go there.

It's quite a formal expression; so that is much more common and function in a similar way.

 

You can read more about these forms here:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/so-that-or-in-order-that

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Lorenzo311 on Mon, 21/11/2022 - 16:39

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From the book 'THE ALCHEMIST': "What he needed to do was review all he had learned...". Why not 'to review'? Thanks.

Hi Lorenzo311,

It could also be "to review". That would be grammatically correct too.

Jonathan

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Liam_Kurt on Wed, 12/10/2022 - 07:18

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Are these infinitives an adverb modifying the adjective to add information?
He was willing to carry the bags for me.
I am happy to win.
I do not think they are modifying the verb and showing the reason.

Hi Liam_Kurt,

Yes, right! They are modifying the adjective. They aren't infinitives of purpose.

Jonathan

The LearnEnglish Team

I just found out that they are reduced clauses from another website
Like: He was excellent (for us) to work with.
So are these infinitives changing what they're doing?
He was excellent for us to work with(It's modifying a noun)
He was excellent to work with(It's modifying an adjective)

Hi Liam_Kurt,

Yes, right. I would just add that these constructions are not always reduced clauses (e.g. I am happy to win).

Jonathan

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Zuzanna on Tue, 30/08/2022 - 11:35

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Dear Sir,

Could you please tell me whether I should say: (1) Only after washing the dishes did she have time to relax or (2) Only after washing the dishes had she time to relax. I am unsure whether I should make an inversion by changing the place of a subject and a verb or make an inversion as in question by "did".

With regards

Hi Zuzanna,

For most verbs the way to invert is (1) - by adding an auxiliary verb (if there isn't one already) and putting it before the subject. 

However, the verb "have" as a main verb is sometimes used without an auxiliary verb where one is normally used, for example in the negative sentence "I haven't any time" and the question "Have you any time?" (instead of the usual structures "I don't have any time" and "Do you have any time?"). These sound more formal than usual, and are relatively uncommon. So, your sentence (2) is acceptable too, but with the same note that it sounds a bit formal.

I hope that helps to understand it.

Jonathan

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by jorgepavlo on Wed, 10/08/2022 - 01:21

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i have a doubt about the infinitives , sometimes i notice that the "TO" which is part of the infinitive, feels more like a preposition in some of the examples of this topic, and it happens because am translating the sentence to spanish and if i translate the infinitive literally it doesn't bring a full idea; for instance:
in this follwing sentence i feel that the "TO" is more like a preposition:
They gave him an opportunity to escape.
in this ohter sentence, wich is not of any of the previous examples , i feel that the infinitive is more factual.
His health appeared to be better.
please help me with this , thanks in advance.

Hello jorgepavlo,

You'll know better than me, but, for example, I'd translate 'an opportunity to escape' as 'una oportunidad de escapar' (though please let me know if you think that's not a good translation). You're right in thinking that in Spanish, the preposition 'de' is needed, but note that the preposition is followed by an infinitive. In English, we skip the preposition and go straight to the infinitive.

In fact, if 'to' were a preposition, then the form after it would have to be an '-ing' form (*'an opportunity to escaping') because prepositions require subsequent verb forms to be in the '-ing' form in English. This is one of the few rules that has no exceptions in English!

As for 'appear', I'm not sure what you mean by 'more factual', but here too, the 'to' is definitely and infinitive form.

I hope this helps.

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by thankyouuu on Wed, 03/08/2022 - 10:32

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Hello! I'm a biginner so if I make any mistake, could you please correct me? Here it's my question: "Don't seek for anything to happen as you wish it would." In this centences, I don't know if 'to-inf' is to express purpose or it follow the structure "seek for sth to inf"? Thank you!

Hi thankyouuu,

It's the second reason - it's part of the structure. :)

We don't correct user's comments here, but you are welcome to post any questions if you have them. Thanks!

Jonathan

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Zuzanna on Tue, 26/07/2022 - 09:39

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Could you please tell me wheter I should say: I'd prefer tea to coffee or I'd prefer tea rather than coffee. I mean is there any difference if I use "to" or "rather than"?

Submitted by Verbis on Thu, 07/07/2022 - 20:38

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Dear Team,
Reading the subtitles of a Danish series on Netflix, I came across something like "It pays off to have a network of contacts". Is it acceptable to use an infinitive after a phrasal verb? Thank you.

Hello Verbis,

I expect that you might be able to hear someone say this, and it's certainly completely intelligible, but strictly speaking, it's not correct.

As far as I know, when 'pay off' means 'to result in success', it's an intransitive verb, i.e. it has no object, and so it's not correct to say 'it pays off to have' or 'it pays off having' or anything like that.

I hesitate to make a generalisation about all phrasal verbs, but off the top of my head, I'd say they should not have an infinitive as an object, but rather an '-ing' form. Please note, however, that I might not be thinking of exceptions to this -- there are so many possibilities! -- and, more importantly, it's quite possible that people's grammar is a little loose at times. After all, phrasal verbs are a typical feature of informal speech, which sometimes breaks grammatical rules.

Hope this helps clarify it for you.

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Hailey on Tue, 10/05/2022 - 02:38

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Hello, I was wondering if the following sentence has ambiguity in structures:

We need more money to buy what we want.

I think this sentence can only be interpreted or classified as infinitive of purpose as follows:
To buy what we want, we need more money.

Can this to-infinitive clause ‘to buy what we want’ be used to modify a noun phrase ‘more money’?(as an adjectival infinitive)

Thank you for your reply in advance:)

Hello Hailey,

This looks like an infinitive of purpose to me as well. While it is possible to use an infinitive adjectivally after 'money' (e.g. 'She has lots of money to burn' or 'If only the school had more money to spend on books'), here I'd say it's quite clear the it expresses purpose.

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Plokonyo on Fri, 18/03/2022 - 12:33

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I'm confused by the construction of the sentence "to choose from" here. I think "from" needs an object here such as "I'm from England, but there is not and so it's confusing me

Second, does the relative infinitive have a modal meaning?

...diffrerent option to choose from = ...different option can/need/should/will choose from.

We often use 'would' to describe different options to choose from.

Hi Plokonyo,

In the sentence, the object of 'to choose from' appears earlier in the sentence - 'different options to choose from'. You may see sentences or clauses that end with prepositions for this reason. Here are some more examples:

  • I have nobody to go to the party with.
  • That's the thing I was looking for.
  • There is nothing to worry about.

Yes, we can interpret a modal meaning. It depends on the words and context. For example:

  • If you have any questions, Sarah is the one to talk to. (= you should/must talk to Sarah if you have any questions)
  • I have nobody to go to the party with. (= nobody who I can go with)
  • The shop has clothes to suit all occasions. (= clothes that will suit all occasions)

In the sentence you mentioned, 'can' makes the most sense.

I hope that helps.

Jonathan

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Jaja on Sun, 23/01/2022 - 02:45

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Can any tell me why we can use 'to' and why we need to use it;
Example:
1. I want to talk to her. = "to talk to"
2. I want to help her. = "to help"

Hello Jaja,

'To talk' and 'to help' are infinitive forms. They are used because they follow the verb 'want' and the pattern for 'want' is:
want + to verb (infinitive)

The second 'to' in the first sentence is a preposition which is attached to the verb 'talk'. You can talk to someone, talk with someone or talk about something.

Peter
The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by wazina on Sat, 25/12/2021 - 07:52

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Dear Mr. Kirk
Would you please help me to explain the grammar point of " expressing the purpose/ aim/ goal / duty...."?
Ex: The purose of Asian Games is to promote the solidarity among ......
The Purpose of Asian Games is promoting the solidarity among ......
My question is that which is correct or both are correct.
Thank you very much.

Hello wazina,

Most of the time the sentence with the infinitive ('to promote solidarity') is going to be better than the other one. We use an infinitive of purpose for just this reason, i.e. to explain the purpose of something.

It may be acceptable in some circumstances to use the other form ('promoting solidarity') here, and it would, for example, be the better form if the sentence began with this idea: 'Promoting solidarity is the purpose of ...'

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Nevı on Tue, 31/08/2021 - 19:59

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Hi incredible team! I want to know something about following sentence 'Sylvie is bringing the cow home to be milked.' Here I don't think' to be milked ' is the infinitive of purpose. I understand that somebody is going to milk the cow. But I haven't known that usage of' to infinitive 'yet. Which usage of the - to infinitive-is used in that ' to infinitive'phrase? I wonder if you could help me to understand. I'd really appreciate it.

Hello Nevi,

'to be milked' is a passive infinitive. I'd call it a kind of infinitive of purpose in the sentence you ask about because it clearly expresses the purpose of the first part of the sentence, though some grammars might disagree with this idea.

Although I wouldn't say it's incorrect, this sentence sounds a little unnatural to me. I would probably say 'Sylvie is bringing the cow home for it to be milked' or 'so that it is milked' instead. We tend to use a 'for' structure (as in my first alternative) when talking about a purpose that speaks about the action of another person, and 'so that' is another way of talking about purpose.

All the best,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Hmm Teacher you said it's the infinitive of purpose. But mustn't subjects be the same in the 'to infinitive' clause. I mean, for example, I am studying English to pass the exam. Here who is studying? Me who wants to pass the exam? Me Sylvie is bringing the cow home to be milked.' Here who is bringing the cow home? Sylvie Whos going to be milked? Cow This sentence really ambiguous maybe it can be understood like Sylvie is to be milked, which is completely wrong. I don't know if you understand what I mean. What's your thoughts about that ambiguity? Best wishes!
Profile picture for user Kirk Moore

Submitted by Kirk Moore on Thu, 02/09/2021 - 06:18

In reply to by Nevı

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Hi Nevi,

I said that it's a kind of an infinitive of purpose to try to show that it doesn't fit the usual description of how an infinitive of purpose works. If there's a precise term for the infinitive in use here, I'm afraid I don't know what it is.

I can understand your concern about the ambiguity, but I don't see the sentence as ambiguous at all. It is very unusual for someone to speak of a woman 'being milked' (and quite inappropriate as well, I might add), but not at all for a cow to be milked. With this in mind, I don't see any ambiguity, and if the sentence is considered within a likely context, even less so. This is a good example of how syntax and lexical usage converge to produce meaning.

Hope this helps.

All the best,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Nevı on Thu, 08/07/2021 - 11:03

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Hi fantastic team! I am writing to find out more about to infinitive phrases. I saw following sentence while reading a text. "His office was the next room to clean." But I don't understand why '... the next room to be cleaned.' is not used here. You'd be really helping me out. Best wishes!

Hello Nevi,

You can use either the active or passive infinitive here without any difference in meaning:

the next thing to do / the next thing to be done

 

This is true of any sentence like this provided the verb is transitive; inttransitive verbs do not occur in the passive, of course. Thus you can say both of these:

the next place to see / the next place to be seen

but you have to use the active form with a verb like go:

the next place to go

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Thanks for your reply teacher. I think when we say '... the next room to clean", to-infinitive clause indicates the purpose. On the other hand, when we say '... the next room to be cleaned. " Like somebody clean the next room. Does subject of the 'to-infinitive clause ' change when we say phrase in passive? I'd really appreciate it. Best wishes!

Hello again Nevi,

No, the choice of form here (to clean or to be cleaned) does not change who is performing the action.

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Mussorie on Thu, 18/03/2021 - 09:15

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In this causative sentence, what does the verb "has had" denote? Whether it denotes the continuation of action for a certain period or repetition of the same action in regular intervals. He has had his car repaired. The second doubt is about the usage of "having" in continuous form. Does the meaning of the word "having" in this sentence have the same meaning as "taking"? Can we replace it with the word taking? I was having my hair cut when my phone rang.

Hi Mussorie,

In your first sentence, it's probably a single action with a result in the present. (The result is that the car is now repaired.) We would need to know the context when somebody said this sentence to know for sure.

In your second sentence, the meaning is similar to 'receiving' or 'getting'. No, we can't replace it with 'taking' because the correct phrase is 'have (my) hair cut', not 'take (my) hair cut'. Also, this meaning of 'have' is not specific to the continuous form. It can be used in other verb forms too (e.g. I have my hair cut every month).

Jonathan

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Mussorie on Wed, 17/03/2021 - 06:06

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Thank you, Kirk. Then, is the phrase "watching the game" in the sentence acting as an object complement to the word busy?

Hello Mussorie,

Yes, it's a complement of the adjective 'busy', though I'm not sure I'd call it an 'object' complement since 'is' is a linking verb.

All the best,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Mussorie on Sun, 14/03/2021 - 11:18

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Hello Peter, this long question (different questions) requires your patience to answer. 1.What is the difference between the two sentences? 1.He is busy watching the game ( correct) 2.He is busy in watching the game (incorrect) Why the second statement is incorrect? 2.Is this statement correct? Watching the game, Ravi is busy. 3.I am a bit confused after seeing this statement because the present participle (going) in the participle phrase is not modifying the subject in the main clause. Could you please elaborate on this? Statement: Going by recent studies and anecdotal field reports, food inflation has impacted the health of the poor.