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Roky0071 Posted 7 years ago
Grammar

Use of Infinitive as a subjective complement

As I know that Infinitives express purpose, feature plans, imagined events, etc but when I went through this example, I am confused. Please explain it.

Her job is to assist you. (She is a waiter here)

So why do I use infinitive here because she is a waiter in real and she assists everyone? it's her job. It's a real or actual event, not imagined?

But If I put the example below

My dream is to open a business.

This example follows the concept above because It's my dream. It's not real, it's imagined.

  

Top answer

What is it that is confusing you? [1] My dream is to open a business . [2] Her job is to assist you .

  • What is it that is confusing you?
  • [1] My dream is to open a business .
  • [2] Her job is to assist you .
  • Infinitivals don't just express unreal or imagined situations or events, but also real ones as your second example demonstrates.
  • In [1] the infinitival is a specifying predicative complement of "be".
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2 Answers
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What is it that is confusing you?

[1] My dream is to open a business.

[2] Her job is to assist you.

Infinitivals don't just express unreal or imagined situations or events, but also real ones as your second example demonstrates.

In [1] the infinitival is a specifying predicative complement of "be". It specifies the content of your dream, an

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roky0071Infinitives express purpose, feature plans, imagined events, etc

I think that a more general definition of the verb could be more helpful in understanding the infinitive usage.

I see infinitives as verb forms that describe an action, state, or occurrence.

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