Look for the words "to" + verb:
* Example: "to eat," "to run," "to sleep," "to study"
Infinitives are the basic form of a verb. They act like nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, and they can be used in a variety of ways in a sentence.
Here are some examples of how infinitives are used:
* Noun: "I love to read." (The infinitive "to read" acts as the object of the verb "love.")
* Adjective: "It's time to go." (The infinitive "to go" modifies the noun "time.")
* Adverb: "I went to the store to buy milk." (The infinitive "to buy milk" explains the purpose of going to the store.)
Important Note: Not all phrases starting with "to" are infinitives. For example, "to the store" is a prepositional phrase, not an infinitive.
Here's a quick trick to remember:
If you can replace the "to" with a noun or pronoun, it's likely an infinitive.
* Example: "I love to read." -> "I love books."