The infinitive is a kind of helping verb that uses "to" with the root of the verb and this follows the main verb:
to sleep
The Eagle Scout offered to sleep with an eyepatch on.(red= main verb)
to dream
Gumby didn't mean to dream of his new flannel pajamas.(red= main verb)
The counterpart to the infinitive is the gerund. Whether one uses the gerund or the infinitive depends on what the main verb in the sentence. The following is an incomplete list of verbs that take only infinitives.
Verb + Infinitive
agree | decide | manage | plan | wait |
ask | expect | mean | pretend | want |
beg | have | need | promise | wish |
claim | hope | offer | refuse |
We plan to visit the Yucatan next week. (red= main verb)
Verb + Gerund or Infinitive
begin | continue | like | can't stand | start |
hate | love |
I love skiing.[gerund] (red= main verb)
I love to ski.[infinitive] (red= main verb)
With some verbs, however, the choice of a gerund or infinitive changes the meaning dramatically:
forget | remember | stop | try |
She stopped speaking to Lucia.[gerund] (red= main verb)
She stopped to speak to Lucia.[infinitive] (red= main verb)