Infinitive Complements

[BenJCMil]

I want to ask about Infinitive Complements.

Like this example:
What should you do for a cold?
It's important to.....
It's sometimes helpful...
It's a good idea....

What are the purpose and definition of Infinitive Complements?
And what is the formula?

Thank you

 

[Soup]

I want to ask about Infinitive Complements.

Like this example:
What should you do for a cold?
It's important to.....
It's sometimes helpful...
It's a good idea....

What are the purpose and definition of Infinitive Complements?
And what is the formula?

Thank you

The verb To Be (e.g., am, is, was, were) takes a complement:

Ex: It is important to drink fluids.

Infinitive verbs do not have tense; they are in their base form (e.g., walked (tense), walk (infinitive). The infinitive has two forms: the base infinitive (e.g., walk) and the to-infinitive (e.g., to walk).

The formula:

expletive subject (It) + adjective or noun (important, helpful, a good idea)

Ex: What should you do for a cold?

• It's important to drink fluids.
• It's important that you drink fluids.
• That you drink fluids is important.
• Drinking fluids is important.

 

[jhonerliz]

[*]Drinking fluids is important.
[/LIST]

Isn't drinking fluids a gerund?

 

[Soup]

Isn't drinking fluids a gerund?

Yes, and it's also a part of the infinitive complement formula:

It's important to drink fluids => Drinking fluids is important => That you drink fluids is important.