Hello,

Question

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.

Answer 1

How about adverb, modifying the adjective "expensive"?

Answer 2

Thank you for your help, Ms.Sue!
I'd like to know if there's a specific rule for infinitives that follow adjectives.

Answer 3

Here are two websites that might help:

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

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

Answer 4

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

Answer 5

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

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

Answer 6

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

Answer 7

:-)
But you're usually right in math.

Answer 8

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?

Answer 9

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.