Question

Select the verbal; indicate whether it is a participle, gerund, or infinitive; and indicate how it functions in the sentence. His greatest ambition is to follow in his father's footsteps.

Answer 1

Answer: infinitive functioning as a noun.

Explanation: an infinitive is the basic form of a verb, without an inflection binding it to a particular subject or tense, it can serve as an adjective, an adverb, or a noun. In the given sentence we can see an example of an infinitive in the words "to follow" and, in this case, it are acting as a noun, specifically as the direct object of the sentence (it answers the question "what is his greatest ambition?").

Answer 2

The verb in the sentence is, to follow (his father's footsteps). This verb is used as an infinitive. An infinitive is a word in the verb form that functions as a noun, adjective or adverb. Infinitives are generally introduced by the word "to".