guessing function of infinitive verbs

[Matthew Wai]

but I think you was right

But I think you were wrong in saying the above.

Not a teacher.

 

[tzfujimino]

'I buy food to feed my cat.'
I think the infinitive is adverbial. Am I right or wrong this time?

I think you are right.
In 'I buy food to feed my cat with', 'to feed my cat with' would be adjectival.

 

[Matthew Wai]

but I think you was right the first time because you can say I buy food in order to eat.

But I think my first thought was wrong because 'food to eat' is similar to 'the first thing to do' in construction, and both infinitives describe the noun before them.

Not a teacher.

 

[mawes12]

But I think my first thought was wrong because 'food to eat' is similar to 'the first thing to do' in construction, and both infinitives describe the noun before them.

Not a teacher.

That's why I'm a lil confused. I think you can also say I buy food so (subject noun) can eat. <-- that's why I think it is an adverbial.

Not a teacher.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Mawes, you drifted from your original question about infinitives.

 

[mawes12]

Mawes, you drifted from your original question about infinitives.

I don't understand.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think he means that what you just said was irrelevant to your original question about infinitives, but I am not a teacher.

 

[mawes12]

Mawes, you drifted from your original question about infinitives.

Are you talking about my old thread?

 

[MikeNewYork]

This thread too.

 

[mawes12]

This thread too.

Am I right?

I think you can also say I buy food so (subject noun) can eat. <-- that's why I think it is an adverbial.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would call that adverbial.

 

[mawes12]

I would call that adverbial.

Do you understand my confusion? I think some are confused too.

 

[MikeNewYork]

There are no absolutes in this. The good news is this issue is not very important. What we label modifiers is not earth shattering. Were I you, I would give it a rest.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, Mawes:

You quoted MikeNewYork"s "We would need actual sentences to say for sure."

In my opinion, if you look at that sentence very carefully, you will see that "sentences" is NOT the subject of "to say for sure."

I think that a comma would be helpful: "We would need actual sentences, to say for sure."

In other words, "To say for sure" is a so-called sentence adverb. It refers to the statement of the whole sentence.

Compare: "To say for sure, we would need actual sentences."

As you can see, that sentence is completely different from "I buy food to feed my cat." (I am going to think and think and think before I give my two bits [humble opinion] about that sentence!)

 

[MikeNewYork]

I am not fond of this "sentence adverb" designation except for single words, such as "Hopefully". In my opinion, "to say for sure" is an adverbial phrase modifying "need". The comma after "sentences" is incorrect, in my opinion.

 

[Matthew Wai]

'We would need actual sentences to say for sure.'── The infinitive is adverbial.
'We would need actual sentences to consider.'── The infinitive is adjectival.

Am I right or wrong? Not a teacher.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I agree Matthew.

 

[mawes12]

'We would need actual sentences to say for sure.'── The infinitive is adverbial.
'We would need actual sentences to consider.'── The infinitive is adjectival.

Am I right or wrong? Not a teacher.

Why do you say that?

 

[Matthew Wai]

What's wrong with what I said?

BTW, I acknowledge receipt of your private messages. Thanks a lot!

 

[mawes12]

What's wrong with what I said?

BTW, I acknowledge receipt of your private messages. Thanks a lot!

To me both looks like it has the same function. I'm not sure.