Final answer:
The infinitive phrase 'to spend the afternoon tobogganing' functions as an adverb, providing the purpose for Tom's decision in the sentence. Infinitive phrases are base forms of verbs with 'to' that can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs to clarify meaning in sentences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The infinitive phrase in question, to spend the afternoon tobogganing, serves a specific function in the sentence. An infinitive phrase consists of the infinitive, which is the base form of a verb preceded by 'to,' plus any modifiers or complements. Infinitive phrases can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs within a sentence. When functioning adverbially, they modify verbs to provide more information about the action. For example:
- 'Tom decided to spend the afternoon tobogganing.' Here, the infinitive phrase acts as an adverb, explaining the purpose of Tom's decision.
Reviewing sentences containing various infinitive phrases and identifying their functions will help understand their roles:
- In the sentence 'On Thursday I drove up north to move a couch for a friend,' the phrase 'to move a couch for a friend' is an infinitive phrase acting adverbially to explain the purpose of driving north.