We also change the form of a verb-in-present-tense to indicate that the subject is in third-person-singular.
We use the base form of a verb in simple present tense. Exception: Subject in third person-singular number.
E.g. : I come, we come, you come, they come. Exceptions: He comes; she comes; it comes. Mr. Anthony comes.
We are fortunate that English does not have gender-based inflections and conjugations of verb. Many world languages have.
The bare verb form is called bare infinitive. Finite means somemthing which has dimensions. A finite verb can reflect number, person of the subject and tense. An infinitive does not have any such bonds. The examples given above I come, we come, etc. have nothing to do with bare infinitive; because in the above examples the verb has a tense, and reflects the number and person of the subject.
It is a practice to call the prepositon "to + bare infinitive" as "to infinitive".
MY PERSONAL VIEW AS A BLOGGER
The 'to-infinitive' has only one characteristic of a verb. It takes an object, if the verb is a transitive verb.
Example: The Bank | has agreed | to | grant a loan.
'Grant' is a transitive verb. It takes 'a loan' as its object.
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The preposition 'to's object should be a noun. We shall arrive at this reasoning in the following example:-
E.g. 1: Mr. Bush | agreed | to resign.
'Mr. Bush' is the subject.
'Agreed' is an intransitive verb. We use prepositions to link the actions of the intransitive verbs with other nouns. 'To' in the above sentence, hence, becomes a preposition.
'resign' is the object.
Only a noun/noun-phrase/noun-clause, can work as a subject/object. Thus, the bare infinitive 'resign' has become a noun.
E.g. 2: To err | is | human.
'To err' is the subject.
'Is' is the verb.
'Human' is the complementary adjective (or adjective complement).
This Pope's quote, is using, 'to err' as subject.
We can use only a noun/noun-phrase/noun-clause as a subject.
We can take 'to-err' as a compound-word.
'Erring' is the verbal-noun (gerund) form of 'to-err'.
E.g. : Erring | is | human.
'Erring' is the subject.
'Is' is the verb.
'Human' is the adjective.
This sentence has not become popular, probably because, Alexander Pope had not used it. 'Erring' is popular as an adjective i.e. present participle.
E.g. : erring brother; erring friend; erring love; erring men; erring sister; erring soul; erring spirit.
'To' preposition + its object, serve well to show destination or direction; place or time or purpose.
Let us see another proverb:-
"It is better to die with honor than to live in infamy."
'It' appears, in this sentence, to be the subject. It is only an introductory subject at the best. The real subject is 'To-die with honor' and after removing its embellishments, 'to-die' remains as the subject.
'Than' is the preposition. 'To-live in infamy' is its object. After removing embellishments, 'to-live' becomes the preposition "than's" object.
Both 'to-live' and 'to-die' thus are nouns.
Another observation: 'live' and 'die' are intransitive verbs. Hence they needed the use of preposition + its object i.e. -- with + honor, in + infamy. Honor and infamy are objects and hence nouns (vice versa).
Identify whether the following phrases of George Bernard Shaw in his play 'The Doctor's Dilemma', are to infinitives / to + objects. Hover your mouse on the word 'answer' to see the 'suggested answer'.
I have deleted the too common prepositional objects like 'to me', 'to us', 'to you', 'to him', 'to her', 'to it', 'to them' etc. Hence, you will find occasional jumps in serial numbers.
1: to the tidy doctorANSWER.
2: to walkANSWER.
3: to face the corner we see nothing of the other two wallsANSWER.
4: to dust the couchANSWER.
5: to the doorANSWER.
6: to see the doctorANSWER.
7: to come bothering me when IANSWER.
8: to swearANSWER.
9: to be his name nowANSWER.
10: to talk to him about scienceANSWER.
11: to come up on his way to the hospitalANSWER.
12: to congratulate youANSWER.
13: to alter the name in the letters if you havntANSWER.
14: to itANSWER.
15: to have done it years agoANSWER.
16: to retireANSWER.
17: to buy a fashionable practiceANSWER.
18: to MondayANSWER.
19: to make someANSWER.
20: to a twelveANSWER.
21: to congratulate youANSWER.
22: to lunch on Saturday next weekANSWER.
23: to HertfordANSWER.
24: to be the first to congratulate youANSWER.
25: to speak of Sir Patrick Cullen as old Paddy CullenANSWER.
29: to you a bitANSWER.
30: to give yourself the airs of ageANSWER.
31: to me nowANSWER.
32: to my poor dear old fatherANSWER.
33: to be proud ofANSWER.
34: to cure consumptionANSWER.
36: to an old manANSWER.
37: to tell me you dont remember the woman with the tuberculosis ulcer on her armANSWER.
38: to cure her with KochANSWER.
39: to take the chance when an experiment is necessaryANSWER.
40: to cure sometimes killsANSWER.
43: to make your white blood corpuscles eat themANSWER.
44: to in practice is thisANSWER.
45: to know whether the patient is in the positive or the negative phaseANSWER.
46: to the laboratory at StANSWER.
47: to kill a man I should kill him that wayANSWER.
48: to me again about people who have no appointmentsANSWER.
49: to wait a bitANSWER.
50: to congratulate youANSWER.
52: to the poor ladyANSWER.
53: to happenANSWER.
54: to me very prettyANSWER.
55: to dieANSWER.
56: to set your teeth and finish the job fastANSWER.
57: to be a surgeonANSWER.
58: to the ladyANSWER.
59: to the consoleANSWER.
60: to chloroformANSWER.
61: to Ridgeon and shakes hands with himANSWER.
62: to go about with nuciform sacsANSWER.
63: to take the sponges outANSWER.
64: to the doorANSWER.
65: to talk to that ladyANSWER.
66: to tell that ladyANSWER.
67: to that poor girlANSWER.
68: to unite at the sound of his voiceANSWER.
69: to the order of knighthoodANSWER.
70: to have that growth taken off her vocal cordsANSWER.
71: to his feetANSWER.
72: to hear that I have tried his opsonin treatment on little Prince Henry with complete successANSWER.
73: to you carefullyANSWER.
74: to bed I packed himANSWER.
76: to the papers and try to discredit scienceANSWER.
77: to your generationANSWER.
78: to struggle with the diffidence of poverty and relegation to the poorer middle classANSWER.
79: to offer my humble congratulationsANSWER.
80: to say I havnt a notion what your great discovery isANSWER.
81: to be rather keen on scienceANSWER.
82: to be a lot of thingsANSWER.
83: to read the medical papers at firstANSWER.
84: to correlate your observations at the bedsideANSWER.
85: to hear you physicians and general practitioners talking about clinical experienceANSWER.
86: to talkANSWER.
87: to EgyptANSWER.
88: to inspire confidenceANSWER.
89: to sell a hair restorerANSWER.
90: to sympathize with my patientsANSWER.
91: to have a lookANSWER.
92: to offer a prescription to a great man like youANSWER.
94: to see that you disapprove of drugsANSWER.
95: to believe in bottles of doctorANSWER.
96: to stimulate the phagocytesANSWER.
97: to hear my poor old father talking againANSWER.
98: to declare his belief that smallpox inoculation was goodANSWER.
99: to the new idea with immense interest and excitementANSWER.
100: to have beenANSWER.
101: to stimulate the phagocytesANSWER.
102: to give you a liftANSWER.
103: to have met youANSWER.
105: to the door with himANSWER.
106: to lunch with me some day this weekANSWER.
107: to spareANSWER.
109: to go roundANSWER.
110: to know the difference between a vaccine and an antiANSWER.
111: to keep them horses standing in the draughtANSWER.
114: to behave myself before I learnt you to do itANSWER.
115: to be with their poor patientsANSWER.
116: to look meditatively at Emmy and sayANSWER.
118: to send her awayANSWER.
119: to please meANSWER.
120: to talk about themselves to youANSWER.
121: to start withANSWER.
122: to have a strong hint to goANSWER.
123: to the glassANSWER.
124: to the writingANSWER.
125: to sit down on the couchANSWER.
126: to the beauty of womenANSWER.
127: to see youANSWER.
129: to be quiet and selfANSWER.
130: to think of those ten patients as ten shipwrecked men on a raftANSWER.
131: to understand and to face itANSWER.
132: to say anything wrongANSWER.
133: to the window and studies itANSWER.
135: to beginANSWER.
137: to come instantlyANSWER.
138: to come in and say thatANSWER.
139: to do a very serious thingANSWER.
140: to save the life of a great manANSWER.
141: to kill another man for his sakeANSWER.
144: to come to a dinner at the Star and Garter at RichmondANSWER.
145: to a dinner to celebrate my knighthoodANSWER.
146: to have been a bachelorsANSWER.
147: to forget itANSWER.
148: to the door and hold your tongueANSWER.
149: to time the long trajectory of a distant train and the measured clucking of oars coming up from the Thames in the valley belowANSWER.
150: to the hotel is on their rightANSWER.
151: to work the telephoneANSWER.
152: to goANSWER.
153: to bed before elevenANSWER.
154: to be ashamed of yourselfANSWER.
155: to askANSWER.
156: to have met himANSWER.
158: to console herANSWER.
159: to be a doctorANSWER.
160: to take care of themselvesANSWER.
161: to this menu cardANSWER.
162: to tear itANSWER.
164: to have met youANSWER.
166: to his seat next Sir PatrickANSWER.
167: to have left you like thisANSWER.
168: to have got a case really worth savingANSWER.
169: to drinkANSWER.
170: to the chequeANSWER.
171: to me quite frankly before dinner as to the pressure of money difficulties on an artistANSWER.
172: to see how happy it made himANSWER.
173: to Walpole with growing perturbationANSWER.
175: to leave her a good deal aloneANSWER.
177: to look seriousANSWER.
178: to look unconcernedANSWER.
179: to keep it to myselfANSWER.
180: to your dinner after all your kindnessANSWER.
181: to lend him halfANSWER.
182: to sayANSWER.
183: to get away from the painful subject by addingANSWER.
184: to have kept the sketch and got it autographedANSWER.
185: to put up with your Philistine twaddleANSWER.
186: to a stranger like thatANSWER.
187: to say NoANSWER.
188: to pleaseANSWER.
189: to thatANSWER.
190: to persuade me that he was one of the chosen peopleANSWER.
192: to say that Jews are never rogues and thievesANSWER.
193: to say you called me to ask whether the motor has come back from the station yetANSWER.
194: to askANSWER.
196: to catch the train with the woman he brought with himANSWER.
197: to go back into serviceANSWER.
198: to start withANSWER.
199: to be uncharitableANSWER.
200: to thinkANSWER.
201: to find himANSWER.
203: to be content with that for the presentANSWER.
204: to care of this gentlemanANSWER.
205: to save this fellowANSWER.
207: to sayANSWER.
208: to the restANSWER.
209: to moveANSWER.
212: to judgeANSWER.
213: to go through life and find all the pictures bad but all the men and women goodANSWER.
214: to say off-hand which I should prefer to do withoutANSWER.
215: to be made simple for youANSWER.
216: to marry his widowANSWER.
219: to replace a dead man than a good pictureANSWER.
220: to pictures and statues and plays and brass bands because its men and women are not good enough to comfort its poor aching soulANSWER.
221: to the inner rooms is in the opposite wallANSWER.
222: to the leftANSWER.
223: to him very anxiously about another matterANSWER.
225: to ask meANSWER.
226: to spare your little fortuneANSWER.
227: to borrow again until you have first asked meANSWER.
228: to me to have you by me to guard me against living too much in the skiesANSWER.
229: to finish themANSWER.
230: to accept money in advanceANSWER.
231: to liveANSWER.
232: to pay except on deliveryANSWER.
233: to have what they pay forANSWER.
234: to be goodANSWER.
235: to work steadilyANSWER.
236: to go in and order all the really good things they have for youANSWER.
237: to insist on comingANSWER.
238: to cure a rising artistANSWER.
239: to see youANSWER.
240: to comeANSWER.
242: to me a fortnight ago when she first called on meANSWER.
243: to have her coming to me for moneyANSWER.
244: to live on if I diedANSWER.
245: to look at your drawingsANSWER.
246: to sound my wretched lungANSWER.
247: to work it is thisANSWER.
248: to JenniferANSWER.
249: to the transactionANSWER.
250: to find some other means of getting itANSWER.
251: to explainANSWER.
252: to buy some of my thingsANSWER.
253: to open itANSWER.
254: to have knownANSWER.
255: to borrow 150 pounds from meANSWER.
256: to you in confidenceANSWER.
257: to speak to you in confidenceANSWER.
259: to WalpoleANSWER.
261: to payANSWER.
262: to clean poor Blenkinsop out of his last halfANSWER.
263: to settle thisANSWER.
265: to know a young woman named Minnie TinwellANSWER.
267: to thinkANSWER.
268: to appreciate JenniferANSWER.
269: to say that she carried her marriage certificate in her face and in her characterANSWER.
270: to look you in the faceANSWER.
271: to compare with thatANSWER.
272: to borrow four times as much to spend on herANSWER.
273: to have livedANSWER.
274: to you that you were utterly wrong on the moral pointANSWER.
275: to the steward of a linerANSWER.
276: to say to me unless we were married I went through the ceremony to please her and to preserve her selfANSWER.
277: to understandANSWER.
279: to do with this daisyANSWER.
280: to church and feel good about itANSWER.
281: to be allowed to defy the criminal law of the landANSWER.
282: to decent peopleANSWER.
286: to walk excitedly aboutANSWER.
287: to harp on the subject of deathANSWER.
288: to put me in prison sooner or laterANSWER.
289: to take you by the scruff of your neckANSWER.
290: to keep it out of court afterwardsANSWER.
291: to address to me in my own houseANSWER.
292: to get them over before my wife comes backANSWER.
293: to save this reptileANSWER.
294: to rememberANSWER.
295: to hear no moreANSWER.
296: to set up to be exactly a SupermanANSWER.
297: to explainANSWER.
298: to be very popular as an excuse for putting sand in sugar and water in milkANSWER.
300: to him piteouslyANSWER.
301: to shock youANSWER.
303: to me that heANSWER.
304: to let you do itANSWER.
305: to let you cut me up for nothingANSWER.
306: to his stool in high dudgeonANSWER.
307: to appeal to now but Sir Ralph Bloomfield BoningtonANSWER.
308: to the Brompton HospitalANSWER.
309: to say NoANSWER.
310: to go into the question of whether my patients are of any use either to themselves or anyone elseANSWER.
311: to stop to argue about their merits I should have to give up threeANSWER.
312: to argueANSWER.
314: to excuse meANSWER.
315: to look at itANSWER.
316: to him from the throneANSWER.
317: to have itANSWER.
318: to have it myselfANSWER.
319: to lookANSWER.
320: to give it to youANSWER.
322: to your houseANSWER.
323: to take it at twelveANSWER.
325: to a belief in morality after allANSWER.
326: to see youANSWER.
327: to learn that heANSWER.
328: to accept thisANSWER.
329: to be nothing but fearANSWER.
330: to the character of the caseANSWER.
331: to excuse meANSWER.
333: to take the patient in handANSWER.
335: to protestANSWER.
336: to lock things upANSWER.
337: to MahometANSWER.
338: to be very gratefulANSWER.
339: to have himANSWER.
341: to BlenkinsopANSWER.
343: to say against himANSWER.
344: to tell me any wrong thing he has doneANSWER.
345: to faceANSWER.
346: to me to make room for him as your patientANSWER.
347: to keep telling me thatANSWER.
348: to me just for a few minutesANSWER.
349: to noticeANSWER.
350: to one dreamANSWER.
351: to waste myselfANSWER.
352: to me like a childANSWER.
353: to refuse what I am going to ask you to doANSWER.
354: to test youANSWER.
355: to the wallANSWER.
356: to follow himANSWER.
357: to be killed because his wife has too high an opinion of himANSWER.
358: to prey on the lungs themselvesANSWER.
359: to do anythingANSWER.
361: to LouisANSWER.
362: to deal with himANSWER.
363: to CornwallANSWER.
364: to think of it beforeANSWER.
365: to him and help to carry him inANSWER.
366: to act on its description and reportsANSWER.
367: to get them wrongANSWER.
369: to wait a few minutes to humor himANSWER.
370: to be paidANSWER.
371: to DubedatANSWER.
372: to let us have a few words aboutANSWER.
373: to dieANSWER.
374: to myselfANSWER.
375: to keep me going for a few minutesANSWER.
376: to add soda water when Sir Patrick corrects himANSWER.
377: to look beautifulANSWER.
378: to point at you and say ANSWER.
379: to come to Cornwall with me and get wellANSWER.
380: to tearsANSWER.
381: to keep you standing aboutANSWER.
382: to remember it nowANSWER.
383: to disappoint the poor little wormsANSWER.
384: to hang my pictures at the oneANSWER.
385: to worry aboutANSWER.
386: to be awfully afraid of deathANSWER.
387: to think that our marriage was all an affectationANSWER.
388: to the other fellow too much about meANSWER.
389: to say to you fellowsANSWER.
390: to see anything but JenniferANSWER.
394: to liveANSWER.
395: to live up to my idealANSWER.
396: to see whether he is deadANSWER.
397: to rest my head on your bosomANSWER.
398: to sleepANSWER.
399: to go to sleepANSWER.
400: to know is the newspaper man hereANSWER.
401: to silence himANSWER.
403: to follow herANSWER.
404: to judgeANSWER.
405: to marry againANSWER.
406: to carry the interview any furtherANSWER.
408: to be a WidowANSWER.
409: to write an article on How It Feels to be Turned Out of the HouseANSWER.
411: to read the cardANSWER.
413: to some purposeANSWER.
414: to money and womenANSWER.
415: to blackmail me if IANSWER.
416: to prove that their ways are the right waysANSWER.
417: to follow it rather than harp on the weaknesses that have perished with himANSWER.
418: to speakANSWER.
419: to damnation add The readiness is allANSWER.
420: to be ridiculedANSWER.
421: to clear outANSWER.
422: to the doorANSWER.
424: to themANSWER.
426: to cover her deadANSWER.
427: to the entranceANSWER.
428: to the printers to hurry them upANSWER.
429: to come before the crowdANSWER.
431: to see about themANSWER.
432: to the table for a magnifying glassANSWER.
433: to the wallANSWER.
434: to put the glass down on the deskANSWER.
435: to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laughANSWER.
437: to be put down by lawANSWER.
438: to knowANSWER.
439: to look at his picturesANSWER.
440: to you living things have no soulsANSWER.
441: to say such a silly thing as that to anybody but a woman whose mind you despiseANSWER.
442: to put him into the hands of men who defend the torture of animals because they are only brutesANSWER.
443: to me nowANSWER.
444: to take a splinter out of the mastiffANSWER.
445: to yourselfANSWER.
446: to LouisANSWER.
447: to tell youANSWER.
448: to heavenANSWER.
449: to offend youANSWER.
450: to tell me that it was to gratify a miserable jealousy that you deliberatelyANSWER.
452: to keep aliveANSWER.
453: to my faceANSWER.
454: to kill a great oneANSWER.
455: to care for youANSWER.
456: to them now, whenever I am tired or sadANSWER.
458: to her heart in a paroxysm of remorseANSWER.
459: to care for an elderly manANSWER.
460: to sacrifice everybodyANSWER.
461: to puzzle meANSWER.
463: to say that you have married againANSWER.
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