Gerund and Infinitive

GERUND AND INFINITIVE (PART 3)

A. It + Infinitive

Pattern :

It + be + adjective + to infinitive

Function :

Infinitive can be the subject of a sentence. That is very formal structure. So, in speaking, people or native speakers don't often use infinitive as subject. Speakers usually put them in the middle of an "it" phrase.

Using "it" phrase can make natural speech and expressive.

Example

"To do the right thing is not easy" (too formal)

"It's not easy to do the right thing" (common)

"To learn a new language is helpful" (too formal)

"It's helpful to learn a new languge" (common)

We often use it + be followed by an adjective to give opinions:

Clever, difficult, easy, foolish, hard, kind, nice, possible, impossible, right, wrong, silly, etc.

Example :

"It's easy to play the piano, but it's very difficult to play well."
"He spoke so quickly that it was impossible to understand him."

 

B. In order to and for

The phrases "in order to" and "for" are commonly used to express purpose or reason in English, but they are used in different ways.

 

1. In order to

This is a formal way to explain why someone does something. But only one word in this three-word phrase is actually necessary: to.

'In order to' isn't more precise. It doesn't provide any extra meaning. Neither is 'in order to' more professional-sounding than 'to'. The Cambridge Dictionary notes that the phrase 'in order to' is more common in writing than speaking.

In order to + verb

So write like you speak and ditch 'in order to' for 'to'.

Examples:

"She studied hard in order to pass the exam."

"In order to improve his health, he started exercising."

2. for

This is less formal and shows the purpose of a noun. It is used with nouns or gerunds (verbs ending in -ing).

For + noun / gerund

Examples:

"This gift is for you."

"He went to the store for buying groceries."

C. Too and enough

1. Too

"Too" is used to indicate an excess or more than necessary amount. It is generally followed by an adjective or an adverb. It is always comes before adjectives or adverbs and implies a negative excess.

too + adjective/adverb

Example: "She is too tired to continue." ("too tired" suggests an excess amount of tiredness that prevents her from continuing.)

2. Enough

"Enough" is used to indicate the adequacy or sufficiency of something. It can be placed before nouns and after adjectives and adverbs.

adjective/adverb + enough | enough + noun

Examples:

Adjective: "He is old enough to vote." ("old enough" means he has sufficient age to vote.)

Noun: "There is enough food for everyone." ("enough food" means a sufficient amount of food.)

Conclusion

The infinitive and gerund are two formal structures used in English to express purpose or reason. The adjective in this material is followed by the infinitive. The phrases 'in order to' and 'too' are also followed by an infinitive. Meanwhile, 'for' is part of a preposition, so it always precedes a gerund. The last one is 'enough,' which can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund

Reference

English with Alex. (2014, November 12). English grammar - 5 ways to use infinitives

[Video]. YouTube. Retrieved June 2, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZTikQEt0Z8&list=PPSV

J, R. (2023, May 15). To-infinitives. British Council. Retrieved June 2, 2024,  from

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/to-infinitives

Lynch, C. (2020, May 6). In order to - meaning, use and abuse [Video]. YouTube.

Retrieved June 2, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG1Kk1bylUs

BBC Learning English. (2019, December 12). Too vs enough - what's the difference? -- 

English in a minute [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved June 2, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvFweyjRAPI

Linguamarina. (2020, March 20). TO vs. FOR | How to use these English prepositions

[Video]. YouTube. Retrieved June 2, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGkcTdrKjto