What is an infinitive?

An infinitive is the base form of a verb. It is unmarked for inflectional categories such as the following:

• Aspect
• Modality
• Number
• Person
• Tense

In English, the infinitive form may be used alone or in conjunction with the particle to.

• What is a nonfinite verb?

Pei and Gaynor 1954 100

Hartmann and Stork 1972 111

Crystal 1980 184

Palmer 1986 156

Mish 1991 619

Context for this page:

• Concept module: infinitive
• In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): I
• In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
• In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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