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infinitive phrase

Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A verb phrase beginning with “to” plus the base verb, functioning as noun, adjective, or adverb

Detailed Definition
Infinitive phrases express purpose, potential, or abstract action (“to wander,” “to be forgotten”); their unresolved quality mirrors poetic longing, while their syntactic flexibility allows embedding of motive or desire within larger structures.
Example
Example in poetry:
To wander is to meet oneself in disguise; to mourn is to honor what once was light; to name a thing is to give it power; to hold silence is to speak volumes; to let go is to make room for the unknown.
Additional Notes
Infinitive phrases begin with “to” and function as nouns/adjectives/adverbs: “To write is to resist oblivion”; they express purpose, potential, or abstraction; common in philosophical and lyrical verse; use to elevate abstract ideas: “to love is to risk the wound”; avoid passive constructions; related to gerund phrases and verbal phrases; effective in poems of intention, choice, or existential inquiry.
Also Known As
to-infinitive infinitive clause verbal phrase
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