Examples of Infinitive Verbs
An infinitive verb is the word ‘to’ followed by a verb.
Examples of Common Infinitive Verbs
- To be
- To dream
- To have
- To hold
- To look
- To read
- To right
- To sleep
- To throw
- To want
Infinitive Verbs Acting as Nouns
- We decided not to go out.
- To learn is very important.
- I want to swim in the pool.
- To cruise in a car is not allowed here.
- The most important thing is not to give up.
- To be funny is the goal of comedians.
- He reminded her to go downtown.
- To dance is my little girl’s dream.
- I would like to thank you for coming out tonight.
- To go to college is a good idea.
- He does not like to drink soda from a can.
- I forgot to take my vitamins today.
- To fix a car requires skills and tools.
Infinitive Verbs as Modifiers
- I bought a patch to stop smoking.
- We are going to sleep now.
- She is reading carefully to understand fully.
- Mary requested to see you.
- The best method to use is the hands-on method.
- It is pleasant to listen to the rain on the roof.
- The Superbowl is the game to watch.
- He certainly gave me something to think about.
- Billie is finally ready to go.
- I climbed the mountain to see the view.
Infinitive Verbs Following Certain Verbs
- I can’t afford to eat out tonight.
- Do you swear to tell the truth?
- Mom volunteered to make cookies for the bake sale.
- He appears to have the measles.
- They planned to go on a road trip.
- He would prefer to eat steak.
- She claimed to have been home on the night in question.
- Sam offered to help me study.
- The company decided to give everyone a raise.
- I can arrange to have the day off.
- Dave failed to come to work on time.
Infinitive Verbs in Literature and Quotes
- I love to eat. I love to read about food. I love to look into shop windows at food. – The Grand Surprise by Leo Lerman
- It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. – Mark Twain
- Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. – Will Rogers
- Until the advent of television emptied the movie theaters, it was from a weekly visit to the cinema that you learned (or tried to learn) how to walk, to smoke, to kiss, to fight, to grieve. – The Decay of Cinema by Susan Sontag
- A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. – Fred Allen
- To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society. – President Theodore Roosevelt
- An enormous relief had come upon us now that the job was done. One felt an impulse to sing, to break into a run, to snigger. – A Hanging by George Orwell
- To walk beside my father down Sixth Street was to hear the asphalt sing. – The Centaur by John Updike
Now you have lots of different examples of infinitive verbs.
