That Pesky "To"
1. He felt his journey to have come [#1] {to a crisis}. | 2. My wife came {to your house} to reclaim her father [#2]? | 3. He has no hand (DO) free, to wave [#3] {to me}. | 4. I tell you (IO) {to your face} to do you good [#4]. | 5. The word "wife" [#5] seemed to serve [#6] {as a gloomy reminder} {to Defarge}. | 6. You deliberately advise me not to go [#7] up {to Soho}. | 7. Madame Defarge returned {to her counter} to get the wine [#8]. | 8. [Adv. (condition) to "must ask" If you want me to guess [#9] ], you must ask me (DO) {to dinner}. | 9. Accordingly, Mr. Stryver inaugurated the Long Vacation (DO) {with a formal proposal} to take Miss Manette [#10] {to Vauxhall Gardens}. | 10. And you are looking forward {with so much pleasure} {to seeing him [#11] once more to-morrow}! | Notes 2. "Father" is the direct object of the infinitive "to reclaim." The infinitive phrase functions as an adverb of purpose to "came." 3. "Free" is a post-positioned adjective, a reduction of the clause "*that is* free." (See KISS Level 5.5 - Post-Positioned Adjectives.) "To wave" is an infinitive of purpose. Some people will see it as modifying "free"; others will take it to "has." 4. "Good" functions as a noun here, the direct object of the infinitive "to do." "You" is the indirect object of the infinitive. The infinitive phrase functions as an adverb (of purpose) to the "to your face" phrase and to "tell." 5. "Wife" is an appositive to "word." (See KISS Level 5.4 - Appositives.) 6. "Seemed to serve" can be explained in at least three ways. Some people will view the three words as the finite verb phrase. Others will view "to serve" as an infinitive. Among these latter, some will see it as answering the question "seemed what?" and thus consider "to serve" as a direct object. The other, and perhaps better, option is to view "to serve" as answering the question "seemed how?" and thus as adverbial (manner) to "seemed." 7. "Me" is simultaneously the indirect object of "advise" and the subject of the infinitive "to go." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "advise." 8. "Wine" is the direct object of the infinitive "to get." The infinitive phrase functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "returned." 9. "Me" is the subject of the infinitive "to guess." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "want." 10. "Miss Manette" is the direct object of the infinitive "to take." The infinitive phrase functions as an adjective to "proposal." 11. "Him" is the direct object of "seeing," but "seeing" functions as a noun, the direct object of "to." Thus in this case, "to" plus a verb does create a prepositional phrase. |