FINITE AND NON FINITE FORMS OF THE VERB
• TO INFINITIVE AS A NOUN
1. It can work as a subject
E.g. To err is human
2. It can work as a real subject. It has an adjective at the beginning.
E.g. It is difficult to age gracefully
It was impossible for us to understand him
3. It can work as a direct object.
E.g. She likes to watch T.V.
4. It can work as a real direct object. After a dummy ‘it’
E.g. I found it difficult to do these exercises
5. It can work as a subject complement. Realized by a linking verb. It give us
information about the subject
E.g. Your mistake was to hide the truth
6. It can work between commas that is ‘appositive’
E.g. His attitude, not to help people in need, was a disappointment
• TO INFINITIVE AS A NOUN
1. It can work as a subject
E.g. To err is human
2. It can work as a real subject. It has an adjective at the beginning.
E.g. It is difficult to age gracefully
It was impossible for us to understand him
3. It can work as a direct object.
E.g. She likes to watch T.V.
4. It can work as a real direct object. After a dummy ‘it’
E.g. I found it difficult to do these exercises
5. It can work as a subject complement. Realized by a linking verb. It give us
information about the subject
E.g. Your mistake was to hide the truth
6. It can work between commas that is ‘appositive’
E.g. His attitude, not to help people in need, was a disappointment
