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infinitive
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infinitive

In grammar, the basic form of a verb, the form by which verbs are identified: ‘to be’, ‘to hit’, ‘to love’, and so on. The infinitive form of the verb in English is always preceded by to.

The infinitive can be either the subject of a sentence (‘To win is my aim’) or the object (‘I want to win’). But the main verb of the sentence must be finite. The practice of splitting an infinitive (‘to boldly go’) is frowned on by many people, but there are occasions when it may be the best solution (‘a chance to really relax’; ‘the purpose of the training is to better equip those who failed’).



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? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
DO GO to the RSC in Stratford for The Winter's Tale, but don't bother buying the programme: spelling mistakes, split infinitives and a ridiculously selfindulgent essay by an actor called Richard
DO GO to the RSC in Stratford by The Daily Mail (London, England)
McCain pledged "to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences," and Obama answered his four infinitives with four alliterations, rejecting the "partisanship and pettiness .
Every election ends in unifying rhetoric, and this one was no ... by National Review
Some of the technical editing issues that jarred with me--split infinitives and some noticeable spacing errors in the text's print--will not detract from the novel's unique qualities, appealing to readers who appreciate the experimentation of language and the exploration of story.
Big Big Sky by Ma, Susan / Canadian Children's Book News
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