Work towards mastering Infinitives with this focused set of 15 exercises. Designed for Level B1-B2 learners, the questions test recognition, application, and common pitfalls. Earn XP, track your score, and come back until you can get them all right.
Q1 15
Question 1: She decided ___ a new language before travelling abroad.
Question 1 options
Check answer
'To learn' is correct because infinitives are formed with 'to' + base verb. After verbs like 'decide', English requires the full infinitive (to + base form). 'Learning' is a gerund, 'learned' is past tense, and 'learns' is a conjugated present tense — none of these follow 'decide' correctly.
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Q2 15
Question 2: My goal this year is ___ healthier meals every day.
Question 2 options
Check answer
'To cook' is correct because after a linking verb like 'is' used as a subject complement, the infinitive (to + base verb) is required. 'Cooking' (gerund/present participle), 'cooked' (past participle), and 'cook' (bare infinitive) do not correctly complete a subject complement in this structure.
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Q3 15
Question 3: An infinitive can function as the subject of a sentence.
Question 3 options
Check answer
True. An infinitive phrase can act as the subject of a sentence, for example: 'To exercise every day is important.' In this case, the infinitive phrase 'to exercise every day' performs the grammatical role of the subject.
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Q4 15
Question 4: What is the role of the infinitive in this sentence? 'She went to the store to buy some milk.'
Question 4 options
Check answer
'To buy' expresses the purpose of going to the store — it answers the question 'Why did she go?' Infinitives used in this way function as adverbs of purpose. They do not describe a noun, act as subjects, or serve as direct objects in this sentence.
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Q5 15
Question 5: Arrange the words to make a correct sentence:
Question 5 options
To speak clearly
▲ ▼
very important
▲ ▼
is
▲ ▼
Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.
Check answer
The correct order is 'To speak clearly is very important' because the infinitive phrase 'to speak clearly' acts as the subject of the sentence, followed by the linking verb 'is' and the predicate 'very important'.
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Q6 15
Question 6: Which sentence uses the infinitive correctly?
Question 6 options
Check answer
'He needs someone to help him move the furniture' is correct because the infinitive 'to help' modifies the noun 'someone', acting as an adjective. The other options incorrectly use 'helping' (gerund), 'helped' (past tense), or 'helps' (conjugated verb) in place of the infinitive.
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Q7 15
Question 7: Student A: 'Why did you wake up so early today?' Student B: 'I woke up early ___ the first train to the city.'
Question 7 options
Check answer
'To catch' is correct because the infinitive here expresses purpose — it answers the question 'Why did you wake up early?' This is the standard use of the infinitive as an adverb of purpose. 'Catching', 'caught', and 'catches' do not correctly express purpose in this structure.
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Q8 15
Question 8: Which sentence correctly uses the infinitive as a direct object (not a gerund)?
Question 8 options
Check answer
'She wants to visit her grandmother this weekend' is correct because 'want' is followed by the full infinitive (to + base verb) as its direct object. The verb 'want' does not take a gerund as its object, unlike verbs such as 'enjoy' or 'finish'.
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Q9 15
Question 9: Put the words in the correct order:
Question 9 options
completely
▲ ▼
The doctor
▲ ▼
advised her
▲ ▼
to rest
▲ ▼
Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.
Check answer
The correct order is 'The doctor advised her to rest completely' because after 'advise' with a personal object ('her'), the infinitive ('to rest') follows, and then the adverb 'completely' completes the infinitive phrase.
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Q10 15
Question 10: This is a great opportunity ___ your presentation skills in front of a large audience.
Question 10 options
Check answer
'To improve' is correct because after a noun like 'opportunity', an infinitive is used as an adjective to modify and describe that noun. 'Improving' (gerund), 'improved' (past participle), and 'improves' (conjugated verb) do not correctly follow a noun to modify it in this structure.
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Q11 15
Question 11: Which statement about infinitives used after adjectives is true?
Question 11 options
Check answer
After adjectives such as 'happy', 'surprised', 'difficult', and 'important', English uses the full infinitive (to + base verb). This is a standard pattern, for example: 'It is difficult to understand.' The infinitive explains or describes the adjective's meaning further.
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Q12 15
Question 12: Original: 'Learning to drive takes a lot of practice.' Rewrite using an infinitive as the subject: '___ takes a lot of practice.'
Question 12 options
Check answer
'To learn to drive' is correct because the gerund subject 'Learning to drive' can be replaced by the infinitive phrase 'To learn to drive', which performs the same grammatical role as the subject of the sentence. The other options use incorrect verb forms that cannot function as the subject.
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Q13 15
Question 13: Match each sentence to the correct grammar label.
Question 13 options
To travel the world is her greatest dream.
He was excited to receive the award.
She has many reports to write before Friday.
His plan is to open a restaurant downtown.
Infinitive as subject complement
Infinitive as subject
Infinitive as adjective (modifying noun)
Infinitive as adverb (modifying adjective)
Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Check answer
Infinitives can function as nouns (subject or direct object), adjectives (modifying nouns), adverbs (expressing purpose or modifying adjectives), and subject complements (after linking verbs).
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Q14 15
Question 14: After verbs like 'enjoy', 'avoid', and 'finish', you should use an infinitive (to + base verb).
Question 14 options
Check answer
False. Verbs like 'enjoy', 'avoid', and 'finish' are followed by a gerund (verb + -ing), not an infinitive. For example: 'She enjoys swimming.' This is a common exception students must memorise, as other verbs like 'want', 'decide', and 'hope' do take the infinitive.
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Q15 15
Question 15: Which sentence best expresses that the speaker's reason for studying hard is to pass the exam?
Question 15 options
Check answer
'She studied hard to pass the final exam' is correct because the infinitive 'to pass' expresses purpose — the reason or motivation behind the action. The phrase 'in order to pass' also expresses purpose, but 'so that she passing' is grammatically incorrect, and 'because passing' requires a full clause with a conjugated verb.
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