Chris is studying to become a lawyer.

Infinitive Verbs

Verbs can have many forms in English. The infinitive form is when a verb is unchanged. It is sometimes called the "base form" or "dictionary form":

go

  • go
  • goes
  • going
  • went
  • gone

eat

  • eat
  • eats
  • eating
  • ate
  • eaten

be

  • be
  • am
  • is
  • are
  • was
  • were
  • been
  • being

like

  • like
  • likes
  • liking
  • liked

play

  • play
  • plays
  • playing
  • played

try

  • try
  • tries
  • trying
  • tried

Modal Verb + Infinitive

As we studied in Units 7 and 8, we need the infinitive form of a verb when we use modal verbs:

will

might

may

can

could

must

should

would

shall*

*Shall is studied in 120.

+ infinitive verb

It might rain soon.

I couldn't understand class very well today.

Can you speak English?

To + Infinitive


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Exercise

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