Basic English Syntax with Exercises

to-infinitive

6.2 The syntax of inflection

When the inflection is represented by a free morpheme, such as a modal auxiliary or the infinitival to, nothing much happens to it. As a free morpheme it can stand by itself and hence we see it sitting in the head position:

6.2.3 Tense and Agreement

We have not yet mentioned the infinitival marker to. What is its status? Is it a non-finite agreement morpheme, similar to a modal, or is it a non-finite tense morpheme that is accompanied by null agreement? For now I will assume that it is a tense element and demonstrate later that this seems to be correct.