Infinitives
Type(s) and Function(s)
I hope to finish my homework quickly and let her choose the movie tonight.
to finish → Simple infinitive, noun (object of hope)
let her choose → Bare infinitive, object (after “let”)
As a doctor with 20 years of experience, I assure you this vaccine is safe and effective, and getting vaccinated will protect your family from illness."
Appeals: Ethos + Pathos
Active or Passive, and turn it to the opposite.
The students completed the assignment on time.
Active
The assignment was completed on time by the students.
The partners promised to support one another no matter what happened.
Recip.
A character spends the entire story bragging about how honest he is, while the reader watches him lie repeatedly.
Dramatic
Type(s) and Function(s)
She appears to be preparing for the test and wants to have studied all chapters before class.
to be preparing → Continuous infinitive, adverbial (modifies appears)
to have studied → Perfect infinitive, noun (object of wants)
"Studies show that students who read 30 minutes a day improve their grades, so investing time in reading is clearly beneficial."
Appeals: Logos + Ethos
Active or Passive, and turn it to the opposite.
The homework was finished by the students.
Passive
The students finished the homework.
What the policy allows remains unclear.
Relative
A student walks into school during a blackout and says, “Wow, love how bright it is in here.”
Verbal
Type(s) and Function(s)
The assignment is expected to be submitted on time, and the student is proud to have been selected for the award.
to be submitted → Passive infinitive, adjective (modifies “assignment”)
to have been selected → Perfect passive infinitive, noun (object of “is proud”)
"I lost my home in a fire, and without your help, many families could face the same tragedy—please donate to our relief fund today."
Appeals: Pathos + Logos
Active or Passive, and turn it to the opposite.
The storm destroyed several homes last night.
Several homes were destroyed by the storm last night.
The players found themselves unprepared for the pace of the game.
Reflexive
A lawyer asks a witness, “So lying under oath is your idea of honesty?” while pretending to seek clarification.
Socratic
Type(s) and Function(s)
He claims to have been working on the project non-stop and encourages the interns help him organize the files.
to have been working → Perfect continuous infinitive, noun (object of claims)
help him organize → Bare infinitive, object (after “encourages”)
"As an engineer who has designed hundreds of bridges, I know these materials will hold strong; after all, the stress tests prove their reliability."
Appeals: Ethos + Logos
Active or Passive, and turn it to the opposite.
The new policy will have been implemented by the administration before the staff meeting.
Passive
The administration will have implemented the new policy before the staff meeting.
Her notebook was left on the desk.
Possessive (Adj)
A speaker claims to know absolutely nothing about a topic, then uses pointed questions to expose everyone else’s flawed reasoning.
Socratic
Type(s) and Function(s)
The researcher seems to be being monitored constantly, hopes to have published the findings soon, and plans to analyze the results thoroughly.
to be being monitored → Passive continuous infinitive, adverbial (modifies seems)
to have published → Perfect infinitive, noun (object of hopes)
to analyze → Simple infinitive, noun (object of plans)
"As a nutritionist, I can tell you that eating vegetables daily improves your health, and seeing patients recover quickly proves it works."
Ethos (nutritionist’s credibility) + Logos (evidence of health improvement)
Active or Passive, and turn it to the opposite.
The scientist had been analyzing the data for weeks before she discovered the critical error.
The data had been being analyzed by the scientist for weeks before she discovered the critical error.
She reminded herself that their project, which they had started last week, needed more research.
She — Personal pronoun
herself — Reflexive pronoun
their — Possessive adjective
which — Relative pronoun
A man spends his entire life trying to avoid dying in a car accident, refuses to drive, and only walks everywhere—then he is struck and killed by a runaway car while crossing the street
Cosmic