Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition · Lesson 42 (II) · Part 1: Part I: The elementary course
42. The infinitive
Goal: Your child recognizes infinitives (to go, to learn) and the jobs they can do in a sentence.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- Paper and a pencil (or a slate)
What's in the book
Part II of Lesson 42 introduces the infinitive with "To play is pleasant," defines it, gives two model analyses and eight sentences to analyze.
The lesson, step by step
Review
Ask: What is a phrase? Give one that tells where.
To play
SayTo play is pleasant.
Ask: What is pleasant? "To play." It names an action but doesn't say anyone is doing it.
Read:
An Infinitive is a form of the verb used to express action without affirming it.
The sign
Read:
The word "to" is usually placed before the verb, and is called the sign of the infinitive.
The book says the two parts should not be separated when analyzing.
Different jobs
Look at the models:
To love is to obey.
The lawyer went to his office to write a letter.
In the first, infinitives are the subject and predicate. In the second, "to write a letter" tells why he went.
Analyze the book's sentences
Find each infinitive and say what it does:
To lie is wicked.
John studies to learn.
Are you ready to recite?
Check together
Check with the answers.
Use it today
Say three things you want to do this week, each with an infinitive: "I want to..."
Answers to the book's problems
1 To lie: subject. 2 to go: object of wants (to the city is a phrase). 3 To doubt: subject (with its object the promise of a friend). 4 to learn: adverbial, tells why he studies. 5 to remain: object of wishes. 6 to recite: modifies ready. 7 to work: object of like. 8 To teach: subject.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.