Final answer:
The infinitive in the sentence 'Jake tried to belch' is 'to belch,' and its function is adverbial, modifying the verb 'tried' to describe what Jake attempted.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the sentence 'Jake tried to belch,' the infinitive is 'to belch.' It is being used as an adverb, specifically to modify the main verb 'tried.' The infinitive 'to belch' tells us the action that Jake attempted to perform. In general, infinitives can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in sentences.
In this case, it is not the subject of the sentence; rather, it provides more information about what Jake tried to do.
Review Questions
On Thursday I drove up north to move a couch for a friend. (Infinitive phrase as an adverb)
If your shoes have a lot of surface area, hiking through a snow drift gets a lot easier. (Prepositional phrase as an adverb)
Already exhausted by the second quarter, we were no match for the division champions. (Participial phrase as an adjective)
That award, offered once a year to only one teacher in the entire state, is quite an honor to win. (Participial phrase as an adjective; Infinitive phrase as an adverb)
Hoping against all hope that the balding tires would hold and the rusting fuel pump would continue to work, I loaded up all of the possessions that would fit, discarded the rest in a dumpster behind a truck stop, and set out to cross the country. (Participial phrase as an adverb)