[Grammar] Recognizing an infinitive

[JIM1984]

When the infinitive form can be recognized, usually, with a 'to' before it: to eat, to sing, to be, etc, how then is a word which follows categorized, as in to be understood, to be seen, etc? Is it, for want of a better term, just another part of the infinitive (phrase)?

 

[Verona_82]

Hi.
*not a teacher*
Those are passive infinitives. At least they were called so by the people who taught me.

 

[5jj]

These days many people prefer to speak of the (bare) infinitive, as in:..... I can see,.....they must go,.....shall we dance?

and the to-infinitive, as in:..... To err is human, .....I want to leave,,.....don't you want to stay?.

As Verona noted, to be understood is a passive (to-)infinitive, made up of the to-infinitive of BE and the past participle (or third form) of UNDERSTAND.

 

[JIM1984]

These days many people prefer to speak of the (bare) infinitive, as in:..... I can see,.....they must go,.....shall we dance?

and the to-infinitive, as in:..... To err is human, .....I want to leave,,.....don't you want to stay?.

As Verona noted, to be understood is a passive (to-)infinitive, made up of the to-infinitive of BE and the past participle (or third form) of UNDERSTAND.

3

Thanks for the analysis very well explained.