Hello,

In the following sentence identify the function of the infinitive (phrase).

Is it too expensive to travel to Europe?

My list of answers contains:
Adverb, subject, direct object, adjective, object of preposition, and predicate noun.

Apparently, both predicate noun and subject are wrong answers.
I'm very confused about this.

Thank you for your help.

How about adverb, modifying the adjective "expensive"?

Thank you for your help, Ms.Sue!

I'd like to know if there's a specific rule for infinitives that follow adjectives.

Here are two websites that might help:

http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/infinitivephrase.htm

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/phrases.htm#infinitive

I see the infinitive phrase as an appositive to the subject: it.

But an appositive renames a noun that is next to it.

http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/appositive.htm

Hmmm. A little research has (mostly) convinced me that Ms. Sue is right, as usual.

:-)

But you're usually right in math.

So, how do you parse this sentence?

It is the responsibility of every patriotic citizen to protect and defend the constitution.

Do we not have an appositive? How "next to" its noun must it be?

The third example here -- http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/phrases.htm#appositive -- shows an appositive that is separated from its noun by a short prepositional phrase. In Steve's latest example, the prep ph is longer, but still just a prep phrase.

Hello,

In the sentence "Is it too expensive to travel to Europe?", the function of the infinitive "to travel" is that of an adjective.

To identify the function of the infinitive in a sentence, you need to understand the different roles it can play. Here are some common functions of infinitives:

1. Adverb: Infinitives can function as adverbs when they modify a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. For example, "I went to the store to buy groceries." Here, the infinitive "to buy" modifies the verb "went" and answers the question "why did I go to the store?".

2. Subject: Infinitives can sometimes function as the subject of a sentence. For example, "To learn is a lifelong process." Here, the infinitive "to learn" acts as the subject of the sentence, answering the question "what is a lifelong process?".

3. Direct Object: Infinitives can also function as the direct object of a verb. For example, "She wants to visit Japan." Here, the infinitive "to visit" is the direct object of the verb "wants," answering the question "what does she want?".

4. Adjective: In your sentence, "Is it too expensive to travel to Europe?", the infinitive "to travel" functions as an adjective. It modifies the noun "it" and answers the question "what is too expensive?".

Based on the given options, it seems that the correct answer is "adjective" as the function of the infinitive phrase in the sentence.

I hope this explanation helps clarify the confusion. Let me know if you have any further questions!