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Unit 2: English In A Minute
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Session 19

Welcome to English In A Minute. Give us a minute and we'll give you a hot tip about English. Grammar, vocabulary... there's so much to learn! And all taught by your favourite BBC Learning English staff!

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    Activity 1
  1. Activity 1

Activity 1

3 ways to use infinitives with to

Do you know 3 ways to use infinitives with 'to' in English? James is going to tell us in this 60-second English class.

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James

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to English In A Minute. I'm James and today we're going to talk about three different uses of the infinitive with 'to'.

We can use an infinitive with 'to' after an adjective. It's easy to learn English with the BBC.

Another way to use the infinitive with 'to' is to talk about the purpose, or the reason, for something.

For example: I went to the shops to buy some milk.

So, in this example I'm saying that the reason I went to the shop was to buy milk.

Finally, use the infinitive with 'to' after quantifiers.

The structure for this is: quantifier + noun + infinitive with 'to'.

For example: I have too many emails to send.

Or: There isn't enough time to get to the station.

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3 ways to use infinitive with 'to'

1) We can use an infinitive with 'to' after an adjective.

  • It's fun to spend time with friends.
  • It's nice to see you.

2) We can also use the infinitive with 'to' to talk about the purpose of an action.

  • I am working to save money.
  • I am learning English to get a better job.

3) Finally, use the infinitive with 'to' after quantifiers. The structure for this is: quantifier + noun + infinitive with 'to'.

  • I don't have enough money to buy a car.
  • I have too many messages to read them all.

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