The infinitive is the base form of a verb, usually preceded by "to". It doesn't indicate a specific time frame like past, present, or future. It's more like a "raw" form of the verb, ready to be modified to indicate tense.
Here are some examples:
* to run (present infinitive)
* to have run (perfect infinitive)
* to be running (progressive infinitive)
These infinitives can be used in various tenses and contexts:
* I want to run. (present tense)
* I wanted to run. (past tense)
* I will want to run. (future tense)
Let me know if you have any other questions about tenses!