infinitive

Word family adjectiveinfinitivalinfinitiveadverbinfinitivallyinfinitively

Related topics: Grammar

in·fin·i·tive /ɪnˈfɪnətɪv/ noun [countableC] technical

SLGin grammar, the basic form of a verb, used with ‘to’ in English. In the sentence ‘I want to watch television’, ‘to watch’ is an infinitive. 〔动词的〕不定式〔英语语法中动词的基本形式，与to连用；I want to watch television一句中，to watch是不定式〕

→ split infinitive

Examples from the Corpus

infinitive• Independently of any other verb, the bare infinitive here expresses an event as a possibility, a rejected possibility.• Given this shift, the appearance of to before the infinitive is not surprising.• The view of to proposed here allows one, furthermore, to account for the two major uses of the to infinitive.• The distinction between these two ways of conceiving permission accounts for the use of either the bare or the to infinitive here.• Bolinger does not mention it, but the opposite is also true: exclusively perceptual verbs refuse the to infinitive.• In some of its uses, the to infinitive evokes an event as non-realized or yet to be realized.

Origin infinitive

(1400-1500) Late Latin infinitivus, from Latin infinitus; because the verb is not limited by person or number

单词	infinitive
释义	infinitive Word family adjectiveinfinitivalinfinitiveadverbinfinitivallyinfinitively Related topics: Grammar in·fin·i·tive /ɪnˈfɪnətɪv/ ●●○ noun [countableC] technical SLGin grammar, the basic form of a verb, used with ‘to’ in English. In the sentence ‘I want to watch television’, ‘to watch’ is an infinitive. 〔动词的〕不定式〔英语语法中动词的基本形式，与to连用；I want to watch television一句中，to watch是不定式〕 → split infinitive Examples from the Corpus infinitive• Independently of any other verb, the bare infinitive here expresses an event as a possibility, a rejected possibility.• Given this shift, the appearance of to before the infinitive is not surprising.• The view of to proposed here allows one, furthermore, to account for the two major uses of the to infinitive.• The distinction between these two ways of conceiving permission accounts for the use of either the bare or the to infinitive here.• Bolinger does not mention it, but the opposite is also true: exclusively perceptual verbs refuse the to infinitive.• In some of its uses, the to infinitive evokes an event as non-realized or yet to be realized. Origin infinitive (1400-1500) Late Latin infinitivus, from Latin infinitus; because the verb is not limited by person or number
随便看	Food-topic maitre d' Food-topic maize Food-topic maize Food-topic mandarin Food-topic mandarin Food-topic mandarin orange Food-topic mandarin orange Food-topic mangetout Food-topic mangetout Food-topic mango Food-topic mango Food-topic maple syrup Food-topic maple syrup Food-topic margarine Food-topic margarine Food-topic marge Food-topic marge Food-topic marmalade Food-topic marmalade Food-topic marrow Food-topic marrow Food-topic marshmallow Food-topic marshmallow Food-topic Mason jar Food-topic Mason jar