Can infinitives be direct objects?

An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word to plus a verb (in its simplest “stem” form) and functioning as a noun, adjective, or adverb. However, the infinitive may function as a subject, direct object, subject complement, adjective, or adverb in a sentence. …

What is direct object in gerund?

A gerund phrase is a group of words consisting of a gerund and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the gerund, such as: The gerund phrase functions as the subject of the sentence.

Can a gerund have a direct object?

Gerunds are verbs that end in -ing but function as nouns. Many sentences can include a gerund, meaning that gerunds can function as subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, objects of prepositions, and predicate nouns.

How do you explain gerunds and infinitives?

Gerunds are nouns formed from verbs. Gerunds are formed by adding –ing to the end of a verb. Some examples are eating, playing, and listening. Infinitives use to before the verb so the examples above would be to eat, to play, and to listen. Both can be used as the subject or object of a sentence.

Do infinitives always start with TO?

An infinitive will almost always begin with to. Exceptions do occur, however. For example, an infinitive will lose its to when it follows these verbs: feel, hear, help, let, make, see, and watch. Between the verb and the infinitive, you will find a direct object.

What is infinitive and examples?

1. What is an infinitive? An infinitive usually begins with the word “to” and is followed by the base form of a verb (the simple form of the verb that you would find in the dictionary). Examples of infinitives include to read, to run, to jump, to play, to sing, to laugh, to cry, to eat, and to go.

What are the 3 uses of infinitives?

5 Uses of Infinitives

  • Subject. An infinitive can constitute the subject of a sentence.
  • Direct Object. In the sentence “We all want to see,” “to see” is the direct object, the noun (or noun substitute) that receives the action of the verb.
  • Subject Complement.
  • Adjective.
  • Adverb.

What is the opposite of a gerund?

There are no categorical antonyms for gerund. The noun gerund is defined as: A verbal form that functions as a verbal noun. (In English, a gerund has the same spelling as a present participle, but functions differently.)

What is a gerund and examples?

A gerund is a form of a verb that ends in -ing that is used as a noun. It looks like a verb, but it acts like a noun. For example, the word swimming is an example of a gerund. We can use the word swimming in a sentence as a noun to refer to the act of moving around in water as in Swimming is fun.

What’s the difference between a gerund and an infinitive?

Gerunds and Infinitives. Gerunds and infinitives are sometimes referred to as verb complements. They may function as subjects or objects in a sentence. A gerund is a verb in its ing (present participle) form that functions as a noun that names an activity rather than a person or thing. Any action verb can be made into a gerund.

Are there any verbs that take a gerund as an object?

However, there are some verbs that are more likely to take gerunds as objects than others. In this section, we’ll look at some common verbs that take gerunds as their direct object to get a sense of how they’re used.

Which is the best example of a gerund?

Gerund Examples. Gerunds can appear at the beginning of a sentence when used as a subject: Jogging is a hobby of mine. Gerunds can act as an object following the verb: Daniel quit smoking a year ago. Gerunds can serve as an object after a preposition: I look forward to helping you paint the house.

Is the infinitive a subject or an adverb?

However, the infinitive may function as a subject, direct object, subject complement, adjective, or adverb in a sentence. Although an infinitive is easy to locate because of the to + verb form, deciding what function it has in a sentence can sometimes be confusing.