The Zero Infinitive Grammar Exercises: Level B2 (with Answers)

⏱ Time: 07:30 📝 Questions: 15 📊 Level: B2 📚 Type: Grammar ⭐ XP: up to +16 (on pass)

Can you use The Zero Infinitive correctly in everyday English? These 15 practice questions for Level B2 go beyond memorisation — they put grammar concepts into realistic sentences and situations. Detailed explanations help you understand not just the what, but the why.

⏱ You have 07:30 to answer 15 questions. The timer only starts when you click Begin.

Q1  15
Q1 15

Question 1: After a modal verb, which form of the main verb is correct? \'She must ___ the report before noon.\'

Question 1 options
\'finish\' is correct because modal auxiliary verbs (can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must) are always followed by the zero infinitive — the base form of the verb without \'to\'. \'to finish\' incorrectly adds the particle \'to\'. \'finished\' and \'finishing\' are the wrong verb forms.
Q2 15

Question 2: The coach watched the athletes ___ across the finish line one by one.

Question 2 options
'cross' is correct because perception verbs like 'watch', 'see', 'hear', and 'feel' take the zero infinitive (base form without 'to') after their object. 'to cross' incorrectly adds 'to'. 'crossed' and 'crossing' are also possible in some contexts, but the zero infinitive 'cross' tests the core rule here, and only 'cross' reflects the completed action pattern with perception verbs at B2 level.
Q3 15

Question 3: The zero infinitive is the base form of a verb used without the particle 'to'.

Question 3 options
True because the zero (bare) infinitive is defined as the base form of a verb that appears without 'to' preceding it, distinguishing it from the full infinitive (e.g., 'play' vs. 'to play').
Q4 15

Question 4: In the sentence 'Why wait until the last minute?', the zero infinitive 'wait' is used to express which function?

Question 4 options
The zero infinitive after 'why' is used to make a suggestion or rhetorical recommendation. It does not report someone's words, describe a completed action, or show ability. 'Why + zero infinitive' is a fixed pattern for suggestions.
Q5 15

Question 5: Arrange the words to make a correct sentence:

Question 5 options
  • let
  • She
  • her brother
  • use
  • her car

Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.

The correct order is 'She let her brother use her car' because 'let' is a causative verb that takes the zero infinitive, so the base form 'use' follows the object 'her brother' without 'to'.
Q6 15

Question 6: Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Question 6 options
'You should call her before it gets too late' is correct because 'should' is a modal verb followed by the zero infinitive 'call'. The other sentences incorrectly use 'to call', 'calling', or 'called' after a modal verb, all of which violate the rule that modals must be followed by the bare infinitive.
Q7 15

Question 7: A: 'It's getting really cold outside.' B: 'I know. The kids had better ___ their jackets before they go out.'

Question 7 options
'wear' is correct because 'had better' is a verbal idiom that is always followed by the zero infinitive — the base form of the verb without 'to'. 'to wear', 'wearing', and 'worn' are all incorrect forms after 'had better'.
Q8 15

Question 8: Which sentence correctly uses the zero infinitive rather than the full infinitive?

Question 8 options
'I'd rather stay home this evening' is correct because 'would rather' is a verbal idiom that requires the zero infinitive (base form without 'to'). The full infinitive 'to stay' is incorrect here. The other options use 'want' and 'plan', which require the full infinitive 'to stay'.
Q9 15

Question 9: Put the words in the correct order:

Question 9 options
  • redo
  • The manager
  • the entire report
  • made
  • the new employee

Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.

The correct order is 'The manager made the new employee redo the entire report' because 'make' as a causative verb requires the zero infinitive after its object, so 'redo' follows 'the new employee' without 'to'.
Q10 15

Question 10: We could hear the neighbours ___ loudly through the thin apartment walls last night.

Question 10 options
'argue' is correct because 'hear' is a perception verb that takes the zero infinitive (base form without 'to') after its object when describing a complete or general action. 'to argue' incorrectly adds 'to' after a perception verb. 'argued' and 'to have argued' are also grammatically incorrect in this structure.
Q11 15

Question 11: Which statement about the zero infinitive is true according to standard English grammar rules?

Question 11 options
'The zero infinitive is used after modal auxiliary verbs like can, should, and might' is correct. Modals are invariably followed by the bare infinitive. 'Need to', 'ought to', and 'be able to' are not followed by the zero infinitive — they are full infinitive structures. 'Why not' is also followed by the zero infinitive, not the full infinitive.
Q12 15

Question 12: Rewrite using 'make': 'The teacher required the students to repeat the exercise.' → The teacher made the students ___ the exercise.

Question 12 options
'repeat' is correct because when transforming a sentence with 'require + to-infinitive' into one using the causative verb 'make', the full infinitive must change to the zero infinitive. 'Make' + object + bare infinitive is the required structure, so 'to repeat', 'repeated', and 'repeating' are all incorrect.
Q13 15

Question 13: Match each sentence to the correct grammar label.

Question 13 options
You must submit your application by Friday.
I heard him leave the building early this morning.
The director let the cast improvise the final scene.
We'd rather take the train than drive in this traffic.
Zero infinitive after a modal auxiliary verb
Zero infinitive after causative 'let' + object
Zero infinitive after the verbal idiom 'would rather'
Zero infinitive after a perception verb + object

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

The zero infinitive is used in four main contexts: after modal auxiliary verbs, after perception verbs + object, after causative 'make'/'let' + object, and after the verbal idioms 'would rather' and 'had better'.
Q14 15

Question 14: 'Ought to', 'need to', and 'be able to' follow the same zero infinitive rule as modal verbs like 'can', 'must', and 'should'.

Question 14 options
False because 'ought to', 'need to', and 'be able to' are exceptions — they are followed by the full infinitive (with 'to'), not the zero infinitive. Only core modal auxiliaries like 'can', 'must', 'should', 'may', 'might', 'will', 'would', and 'shall' take the bare infinitive directly.
Q15 15

Question 15: Which sentence most naturally uses the zero infinitive to express a suggestion about a pointless delay?

Question 15 options
'Why not book the tickets now while prices are still low?' is correct because 'why not + zero infinitive' is the standard pattern for making a practical suggestion. 'Why to wait' is ungrammatical, 'You should book' uses a modal rather than the 'why not' suggestion structure, and 'There is no need to wait' is a different structure expressing necessity rather than a direct suggestion.