Can infinitive verb

You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Thread starter shang Start date Jan 29, My question is : How can modal verbs have an infinitive form??

Sorry if there is a mistake and thanks in advance! If syntax requires an infinitive, you would use a "modal infinitive". For instance: I hope to be able to stand on my head by this time next year. Well, The infinitive of could is can, and that is clear. But i can't get that can already infinitive has an infinitive as my professor said! Click to expand Last edited: Jan 29, There is no infinitive.

The verb is "be". Senior Member Leicester, UK. To elaborate on what others have said: Modal verbs have no infinitive; they aren't preceded by 'to' in sentences and their third-person singular doesn't add -s. You don't say he cans, he mays. He ended one period of time before this. He went on learning English and French.

He continued learning the languages. She quit to work here. She quit another job in order to work here. She quit working here.

She quit her job here. I regret promising to help you. I regret to tell you that we can't hire you. She remembered to visit her grandmother. She remembered visiting her grandmother. She had memories of this time. The most basic form of a verb is the base form. The base form is just the verb, without the "to. You can use infinitives in several ways. Because they function as nouns, adjectives and adverbs, they can appear almost anywhere.

Now that you can spot an infinitive, take a look at the various ways they pop up in the English language. The most common way to use infinitive verbs is as a direct object or an indirect object. You can use infinitive verbs after adjectives to clarify meaning. Infinitives do appear as the subject of a sentence from time to time. Take a look at these sentences to find common verbs that precede infinitives.

Infinitives are important building blocks in the English language. Check out examples of infinitive phrases , or move on to participial phrases. All rights reserved. Defining an Infinitive Verb An infinitive verb is essentially the base form of a verb with the word "to" in front of it. Some examples of infinitive verbs include: to be to have to hold to sleep to spend Infinitives are never conjugated with -ed or -ing at the end because they are not used as verbs in a sentence.