Infinitive
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An infinitive is a special type of a verb. It has no person, no number, no mood and no tense.
In English there are two types of infinitives:
- the full infinitive (to-infinitive) - this infinitive has the word to at the beginning. For example: to run
- the bare infinitive - this infinitive has not the word to. For example: I must go.
After a modal verb you must use an infinitive. For example: I must go, he must go (he must goes is not correct)
In German, the infinitives end with -en, -eln or -ern. There are 2 exceptions - sein (to be) and tun (to do).
In Esperanto, the infinitives end with -i, for example dormi (to sleep)
Advanced version: there are 6 types of infinitives in English:
1. simple infinitive e.g. to write
2. continuous infinitive e.g. to be working
3. perfect infinitive e.g. to have written
4. prefect continuous infinitive e.g. to have been working
5. passive infinitive e.g. to be written
6. passive perfect infinitive e.g. to have been written