D-11.06 To Continue to Display Willingness to Improve Your Grammar, Don’t Forget to Look to Infinitives

Chapter 19: Infinitive Phrases (“Time to Celebrate”) of the New Scenario: Beginning to Use English Grammar in Context, pages 257-270

14 pages

Who It’s For: (Teachers & Helpers of) High Beginning Through Intermediate Language Improvers Ready to “Take a Break” from Whole-Sentence Grammar to Learn to Use Other Elements to Advantage

Why It’s Useful: In contrast to “complete-sentence construction,” there are elements of phrasing to be considered separately from standard “Subject + Verb” patterns. Infinitives (to + Base Verb) tend to be the most prevalent of these.  Infinitives can serve as sentence subjects, as in “To be or not to be is the question.”  More often, however, within sentences, infinitives are likely to follow certain verbs like agree or begin; adjectives like able or happy; or nouns such as time or chance.  There are also “infinitives of purpose” that are expected to mean “in order to + Verb.” 

To get a freshly-created Chapter on Holidays Around the World, you’re invited to download 14 colorful pages designed to present the main uses of Infinitives.  You’re sure to improve your English when you get to try to insert or to correct infinitives in informative selections to read about special occasions.    

What You’ll Do: 

[1] In the page 257 Scenario, “Time for a Holiday,” you’re urged to share the reading (aloud) of three speeches intended to display the uses of infinitives appearing in Chapter 19.  When  you have a chance to engage in Practice Exercises 19-A to ***19-H  on its remaining pages, be sure to consult not only the Grammar Box: Infinitive Phrases in Sentences but also the several Sidebars written to supply necessary vocabulary and specifics: Going to + Verb; Use(d) to + Verb; the Preposition To; Modals; Verbs, Adjectives, & Nouns Before Infinitives; Infinitives of Purpose.  

[2]  If you have time to learn and to teach about special occasions, use it to research holidays in various cultures. If you’re still eager to practice grammar, you might also want to notice the infinitives in the articles you get to read.  You may even be able to paraphrase some of their points (in order) to insert more infinitives. To sum up, it’s usually a good idea to use every opportunity you have to improve your English.