The parsing of Infinitives

How to parse Infinitives. – To parse an Infinitive you have to show two different features concerning it:

(a) Of what form it is, – whether Indefinite, as to see; or Continuous, as to be seeing; or Perfect, as to have seen; or Perfect-Continuous, as to have been seeing.

(b) What is its use, – whether it is used as a Noun-Infinitive or as a Qualifying Infinitive.

The Noun-Infinitive. – In this capacity the Infinitive does the work of:

(a) Subject to a verb,

(b) Object to a verb,

(c) Complement to a verb,

(d) Object to a preposition.

Since it does the work of a noun in all the positions which a noun is expected to fill, it is very fitly called the Noun-Infinitive.

(a) Subject to a verb:

To sleep is necessary to health. To -work hard is the way to success.

(b) Object to a verb:

We desire to improve.

Note 1. – In the sentence, “He gave me to understand, ”the Infinitive “to understand” is the Direct object to “gave” and “me” is the Indirect one.

Note 2. – The “to” is not used after the Auxiliary verbs shall, will, may, do, nor after must, can, dare not, need not. To all of these verbs the Infinitive is the Object:

I shall go, I did not go. He dare not go etc.

Here “go” is the object first to “shall”, then to “did”, and then to “dare”.

(c) Complement to a verb:

I saw him come. I ordered him to go.

Note. – The student will remember that the “to” is not used after the hear, see, feel, make, let, bid, behold, know, to all of which the Infinitive is used as complement.

(d) Object to a preposition:

(1) He did nothing but laugh.

(2) My plans are about to succeed.

In (1) the Infin. laugh is the object of the preposition but. In (2) the Infin. to succeed (= success) is the object of the preposition about, which signifies nearness or contiguity in time, place, or other circumstance.

The Qualifying Infinitive. – In this capacity the Infinitive does the work of (a) an adverb to a verb, (b) an adverb to an adjective, (c) an adjective to a noun, or (d) a participle to a noun or pronoun in a future sense.

(a) Adverb to a verb:

(1) He came to see the sport.

(2) It came to pass.

In (1) to see qualifies the verb “came”, as if it were an adverb. Here the Infinitive denotes a purpose: “He came for the purpose of seeing the sport”. In (2) to pass expresses, not a purpose, but a result.

(b) Adverb to an adjective:

Quick to hear and slow to speak.

Here to hear qualifies the adjective “quick”, and to speak qualifies “slow”. Each Infinitive therefore does the work of an adverb. “Quick for hearing and slow for speaking.”

(c) Adjective to a noun, either as an epithet or predicative.

A house to let. This house is to let.

Here to let qualifies the noun “house” as an epithet in the first example, and predicatively in the second. In each case, therefore, it does the work of an adjective, though.

(d) Participle to a noun or pronoun in a future sense.

Examples:

(1) He intended to have seen you to-day. To have seen – Perfect in form, noun in function, object to the Transitive verb “intended”.

(2) I came to see you, but you did not appear. To see— Indefinite in form, adverb in function, qualifying the verb “came”.

Appear – Indefinite in form, noun in function, object to the verb “did”.

Exercise:

Parse every Infinitive that you can find in the following sentences:

1. We saw the ship leave the docks at four o’clock.

2. We came to see it start and say good-bye to one of the passengers.

3. We hope to see him back soon.

4. He did not come back in time to spend Christmas with us.

5. We watched the cat steal silently towards the mouse and then suddenly seize it in its claws.

6. I was very much pleased to see you.

7. I will see you again shortly.

8. The boys dare not speak, when the master tells them to be silent.

9. Being quick to forgive and slow to avenge an injury, he made no one dislike him.

10. I shall be glad to see you, whenever you desire to come here.

11. There are many houses to let in this street.

12. That the injustices of the present world will be amended in the world to come is a thing to be hoped for by the good and feared by the evil.

13. Let me see the ship sail by.

14. We must work while it is day; for when the night comes no man can work.

15. Make the horse step out a little faster.

16. Did you see that shooting star?

17. To err is human, to forgive is divine.

18. I am ashamed to say that he let the man go without paying him.

19. Have you finished all the work that you had to do?

20. I am sorry to find that your feelings have been hurt.

21. I am to blame, not you.