A Verb that is not limited by the Tense of the verb or the person and number of the subject is called the Non-finite Verb, Verb Infinite, or Simply Infinitive.
Infinitives Examples: To err is human. This work is hard to do. We eat to live. I wish to go there.
In the above examples, to err, to do, to live, and to go are Infinitives.

Finite verb and Infinitive
Finite Verb | Infinitive |
---|---|
The mangoes taste sweet. | The mangoes are sweet to taste. |
Bimal goes to school. | Bimal likes to go to school. |
He attended three meetings. | He had to attend three meetings |
Difference between Gerund and Infinitive
In Modern Grammar, the difference between the simple infinitive and Gerundial Infinitive is not stressed as both of them may be transformed into a Gerund.
Infinitive | Gerund |
---|---|
To walk is a good exercise. | Walking is a good exercise. |
To find fault is easy. | Finding fault is easy. |
He likes to play cricket. | He likes playing cricket. |
Potato chips are good to eat. | Potato chips are good for eating. |
Use of an Infinitive
Use 1 – As the Subject of a Verb
To steal is a sin. | To forgive is divine. |
To help the poor is a virtue. | To waste time in idle gossiping is foolish. |
Use 2- As the Object of a Verb
I like to play games. | They tried to win the medals. |
I do not mean to read. | She does not like to tell a lie. |
Use 3 – As the Complement of a Verb
His habit is to rise early. | The problem seems to be difficult. |
I asked him to shut the door. | The window is difficult to open. |
Use 4 – As the Object of a Preposition
The patient was about to die. | The runners are about to start. |
He has no alternative but to go. | The sun is about to set. |
Use 5 – As the Adjective to Qualify a Noun
There is a lot of work to do. | I have some letters to write. |
He is a man to be loved. | This is not the time to weep. |
Use 6 – As an Adverb to Modify a Verb
We eat to live. (purpose) | He came to get the job. (purpose) |
She wept to see the mishap. (cause) | I want to know the ground of his absence. (reason) |
Use 7 – As an Adverb to Qualify an Adjective
English is difficult to learn. | Sweets are good to eat. |
The bird’s music is sweet to hear. | You are kind to say so. |
Use 8 – As a Part of a Noun Phrase
I told him what to do. | He told me where to go. |
Tell her when to start. | They know where to buy the ticket. |
Use 9 – After Preliminary ‘It’
It is wise to rise early. | It is foolish to waste time. |
It is harmful to smoke cigarettes. | It is easy to say, but hard to do. |
Use 10 – After ‘too’
I am too tired to work. | She is too weak to walk. |
He is too ill to sit in bed. | The news is too good to be true. |
Infinitives without ‘To’
Use 1 – ‘To’ is not used with some verbs such as let, see, hear, need, bid, help, make, dare, etc. in Active Voice.
Let him go now. | They made us do it. |
He bade me do it. | We saw them read. |
He helped me carry the load. | I heard him cry. |
You need not go there. | She dare(s) not do it. |
Use 2 – ‘To’ is not used after had better, can better, rather than, sooner than, but
You had better go there. | She did nothing but weep. |
He can better read than write. | They would sooner die than suffer. |
Infinitives Exercise
A. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of verbs from the list:
List: tell, rise, live, play, hear, do, err, dance, make, eat
- We eat………….
- I want a cake………..
- They like ……… story
- …………. is human.
- It is difficult ………….
- She likes ………………..
- Boys like …………… a noise.
- He did not want ………… a lie.
- ……………. in the morning is good for health
- ……………….. the sum is difficult.
B. Rewrite the following sentences using ‘too ……’ to’ :
- The tea is very hot. I cannot drink.
- The man is so weak that he cannot walk.
- The chair is so heavy that I cannot carry it.
- He is so honest that he will not accept any bribes.
- The news is so good that it cannot be true.
- The teacher is so gentle that he cannot control the class.
- You are very late. You cannot attend the class.
- I am so busy that I cannot accept any new job.
- He was so excited that he could not talk.
- She is very ill. She cannot sit.
You Asked, We Listened – List of All Grammar Chapters Updated 😍😍
Also, Read

Time and Tense

Gerund

Determiners

Punctuation
