William of Auvergne

On the Music of the Spheres

Latin Grammar: Uses of the Infinitive

1. Quod numeros formae animae illius Plato
2. applicuit et aptavit et quasi in
3. compositionem ipsius venire illos asseruit
4. ex ipsa mundi fabrica, cui animam mundi
5. hujusmodi posuit, accepisse videtur.
6. Posuit enim distantias, quae sunt a terra
7. usque at coelum nonum - immo usque ad
8. octavum secundum ipsum - proportionales
9. esse numeris, quos posuit in figura sua, et
10. totum mundum esse posuit musicalem
11. partesque ipsius, juxta quod de eo intelligere
12. potui, proportionalibus musicis sibi invicem
13. naturaliter consonans et connexas, et
14. propter hoc ipsam animam mundi, quae
15. corpori suo concordare necesse habet et
16. conguere similibus nexibus esse naturaliter
17. unitam quodam modo compactamque,
18. quemadmodum tetigi tibi supra, cum
19. loquerer de eodem ipsius et diverso.

Uses of the infinitive
The infinitive form of the verb can be used in various ways: 

  • it can be the subject, as a verbal noun
  • it can be an object, when it completes the meaning of a verb (this is usually called a complimentary infinitive)
  • it can be a subjective or objective phrase
  • it may be the form of the verb used in an indirect statement, with its subject in the accusative.

For each of the following infinitives, taken from the passage above, note which use of the infinitive is being used.

A. Subjective, used as a verbal noun
B. Complementary, used to complete (complement) the meaning of another verb
C. Verb in an indirect statement, with accusative subject
D. Objective or subjective phrase

  infinitive line use
1. venire 3
2. accepisse 5
3. esse 9
4. esse 10
5. intelligere 11
6. concordare 15
7. conguere 16
8. esse 16

Make this exercise printable