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Guyper Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Verbs + To

"I want to buy this"

Hi...When the to has to be included because of the verb that requires it, is the to still considered a preposition then or does it render and become part of the verb that precedes it? Sorry, if my question sounds confusing.

Thank you
  

Top answer

The "to" is part of the infinitive, the verb that follows it (to buy). The infinitive is considered a noun when it is used that way, or the whole infinitive phrase (to buy this) is. The "to" has various names (I call it a particle), but it is definitely not a preposition.

— Enoon

  • The "to" is part of the infinitive, the verb that follows it (to buy).
  • The infinitive is considered a noun when it is used that way, or the whole infinitive phrase (to buy this) is.
  • The "to" has various names (I call it a particle), but it is definitely not a preposition.
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2 Answers
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The "to" is part of the infinitive, the verb that follows it (to buy). The infinitive is considered a noun when it is used that way, or the whole infinitive phrase (to buy this) is. The "to" has various names (I call it a particle), but it is definitely not a preposition.
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Guyper"I want to buy this"
is the to still considered a preposition then or does it render and become part of the verb that precedes it?
It’s a subordinator (or subordinating conjunction), like that in He says that he wants to buy this or whether in I wonder whether it’s still available. These
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