Infinitive clauses and phrases

Question

what are an infinitive clauses and a phrases ?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

InfinitiveClausesPhrases/nzwhr/post.htm

I tried to tell her. "to tell her" is an infinitive phrase.

CJ just enlightened us on catenative verbs, which can lead to "non-finite" clauses - that is, a clause without a real verb. It usually follows a verb of perception.

I heard her play the piano. "[to] play the piano" could be described as an infinitive clause, I believe.

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CalifJim · Answer

Anonymous~~what~~ What are an infinitive clauses and a phrases ?

The terms "infinitive phrase" and "infinitive clause" are used pretty much interchangeably. They are clauses (or phrases) that contain an infinitive. Most of the time, they start with the infinitive.

Jake wanted to take the kids for ice-cream.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Now I'm really upset! What is a clause? [H]

The elevator refuses to go up! "to go up" is an infinitive clause.

I watched her play piano. "play piano" is an infinitive clause.

Has grammar no system at all? - no integrity?

Perhaps this is an "irregular clause." My dictionary says a clause "regularly" has a verb (and a subject).

CalifJim · Answer

AvangiNow I'm really upset! What is a clause?

Is this a philosophical question, like "What is truth?"

There are finite clauses and non-finite clauses.
There are independent clauses and dependent clauses.
______

In more recent approaches (Transformational Grammar),
there are ordinary clauses, exceptional clauses, and small clauses, and any constituent may be "empty".

Where C = Complementizer, NP = Noun Phrase, I = Inflectional element, VP = Verb Phrase, and XP = any kind of phrase:

Ordinary clauses have C NP I VP.
Exceptional clauses have NP I VP, typically [ NP to VP].

Small clauses have NP XP.

Ordinary: I didn't know that the president had signed the bill.
They are anxious for you to make up your mind.

Exceptional: I believe him to be right.
Small: I consider him intelligent.

I got these from Radford's Transformational Grammar. I'm not expert enough to explain them in much greater detail.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

AvangiThe elevator refuses to go up!

Yes. to go up is an infinitive clause (with an "empty" subject). The subject is the implicit "the elevator" because the elevator is refusing that the elevator go up, so to speak.

AvangiI watched her play piano.

Here the full clause is "her play piano". "her" is the subject of the infinitive clause. I watched this: 'She plays piano'. The subjects of these clauses are always in the objective case. That throws some people -- not to mention that there seems to be overlap between two views of the noun phrase ("her") that intervenes between the two verbs: It appears to be both an object of the main verb and a subject of the infinitive at the same time.

AvangiHas grammar no system at all?

The more recently invented methods of analysis show that grammar has a great deal of "system". In fact, they show much more "system" than anything in traditional grammar could ever do. The problem is that it takes time to 'relearn', as it were, how English is put together from this new perspective, and the terminology is at times completely different and much more technical (and "nit-picky", and at times counterintuitive) from what you might expect when thinking within the mind-set of a traditional grammarian.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Hmmm. Mind set and counterintuitiveness seem incompatible.
But I'm gradually acquiring sympathy for your point of view. I'm just afraid you're going to outlive me.

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to bring me along.

New languages are always a pain in the ****.

But the world they describe is arguably the same world.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you very much for your answer. I was wondering what's the meaning of Ordinary? and if there are clauses other than Ordinary ones.

Now, I got an answer to my questions.

Thanks again

Anonymous · Answer

One way to change your life is to change yourself. Here "one way to change your life is... " is infinitive clause and "to change yourself" is infinitive phrase.

Infinitive clauses and phrases

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