Infinitives Worksheets
All About These 15 Worksheets
Infinitives might look simple, but they play a surprisingly flexible role in English grammar. This collection of worksheets gives students multiple ways to practice working with “to + verb” forms, from spotting them in sentences to using them in their own writing. With activities like treasure hunts, sentence building, and even picture-based prompts, the worksheets make grammar feel active instead of passive. The goal is to help learners not only recognize infinitives but also understand how they function in different contexts.
The variety in these worksheets ensures that every type of learner finds something helpful. Some sheets focus on direct identification, perfect for beginners, while others dive into phrases and sentence construction for more advanced practice. By blending recognition tasks with creative writing, students strengthen both grammar accuracy and communication skills. This makes infinitives less of a “grammar quiz item” and more of a tool for expressing ideas clearly.
Beyond grammar drills, these worksheets support broader literacy and writing development. When kids learn how to use infinitives effectively, they gain new ways to combine ideas, vary sentence structure, and make their writing smoother. Whether it’s “to learn,” “to explore,” or “to succeed,” infinitives give students the building blocks for more confident and expressive writing.
Have a Look Inside Each Worksheet
Recognizing Roles
This worksheet helps students spot infinitives and understand their roles in sentences. Learners practice seeing whether an infinitive acts like a noun, adjective, or adverb. It’s like giving verbs a secret identity card. Kids build sharper grammar awareness and flexibility.
The Infinitive Hunt
Students search for infinitives hidden in sentences and underline them. The activity feels like a word treasure hunt. It’s a fun way to reinforce pattern recognition. Learners sharpen their ability to quickly pick out infinitive forms.
Seek and Write
Here kids are given sentence frames where they must add the correct infinitive. The task reinforces both form and function of infinitives. It feels like filling in the blanks with just the right puzzle piece. Students get practice using infinitives in context.
Circle and Use It!
Students circle the infinitives in sample sentences, then use them in their own sentences. This dual step makes them both observers and creators. It blends recognition with application. Learners boost confidence in grammar through active practice.
Learn and Identify
This worksheet gives direct instruction about infinitives and then asks students to identify them. The clear explanations make it approachable for beginners. It’s a mix of teaching and testing all in one. Kids get guided practice that cements understanding.
Unlocking Infinitive Phrases
Students practice spotting and working with full infinitive phrases instead of just single words. They see how “to + verb” can grow into a longer idea. The activity feels like unlocking a hidden level in grammar. This builds deeper sentence structure knowledge.
Picture-Based Writing
Here learners look at pictures and write sentences using infinitives. The visuals make grammar feel less abstract. It’s creative and fun, turning pictures into stories. Students connect grammar to real communication.
Verb Form Mastery
This worksheet helps kids distinguish between infinitives and other verb forms like gerunds. They practice deciding when “to run” is different from “running.” The activity strengthens overall verb mastery. It’s perfect for preventing common grammar mix-ups.
Infinitive Detective
Students act like detectives, scanning sentences for infinitives and reporting their “findings.” The playful theme adds excitement to grammar practice. It makes identifying verbs feel like solving mysteries. Learners stay engaged while boosting accuracy.
Sentence Fusion
This worksheet challenges students to combine two short sentences into one using an infinitive. It’s a creative twist that shows how infinitives add variety. Kids practice both grammar and writing style. The activity builds stronger sentence construction skills.
Am I This Or That?
Students decide whether given verbs are infinitives or another form. It’s a sorting challenge that sharpens attention to detail. The exercise prevents confusion between verb roles. Learners walk away more confident in identifying forms.
Write On
Here kids practice writing their own sentences with different infinitives. The open-ended format encourages creativity. It’s a chance to apply grammar in personal ways. Students solidify learning by making it their own.
What Are Infinitives?
Infinitives are verb forms that are often used with the word “to” and can function as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb in a sentence. They are an essential component of English grammar and play an important role in sentence construction and communication. Infinitives matter for several reasons:
1. They help us express our intentions and desires. Infinitives are often used to express what someone wants or intends to do, such as “I want to learn Spanish” or “He hopes to travel the world.”
2. They enable us to describe actions. Infinitives can be used to describe actions in a general or abstract sense, such as “to run” or “to swim.”
3. They make our writing more concise. By using an infinitive, we can convey an action in just one word, which can help make our writing more efficient and streamlined.
4. They add variety and nuance to our language. Infinitives can be used in a wide variety of ways, from expressing conditional statements (“If I were to win the lottery, I would buy a yacht”) to giving advice (“To be successful in life, you must work hard”). This versatility allows us to express ourselves in more nuanced and interesting ways.
In short, infinitives are an essential part of the English language and are used in a wide variety of contexts, making them an important concept for students of English to understand and master.
How to Distinguish Infinitives From Gerunds
Infinitives and gerunds are both verb forms that end in “-ing” and can sometimes be confused with each other. However, there are some key differences between them that can help you distinguish one from the other:
Structure – Infinitives are preceded by the word “to,” while gerunds are not. For example, “to eat” is an infinitive, while “eating” is a gerund.
Function – Infinitives can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence, while gerunds always function as nouns. For example, in the sentence “I like to read,” the infinitive “to read” functions as a direct object, while in the sentence “Reading is fun,” the gerund “reading” functions as the subject.
Prepositions – Infinitives are often preceded by the preposition “for” or “to,” while gerunds are often preceded by other prepositions such as “by,” “with,” or “without.” For example, “I went to the store to buy some milk” (infinitive) versus “I lost weight by running every day” (gerund).
Verbs – Infinitives are often used after certain verbs such as “want,” “need,” or “like,” while gerunds are often used after certain verbs such as “enjoy,” “hate,” or “admit.” For example, “I want to eat pizza” (infinitive) versus “I enjoy eating pizza” (gerund).
What Are Split Infinitives?
A split infinitive occurs when an adverb is placed between the word “to” and the verb in an infinitive phrase, such as in the sentence “to boldly go.” Split infinitives were once considered grammatically incorrect in English, but they are now widely accepted and used in modern English.
However, in some formal writing or academic contexts, it may still be preferred to avoid split infinitives. If you want to correct a split infinitive, there are a few ways to do so:
Move the adverb. One way to correct a split infinitive is to move the adverb to a different position in the sentence. For example, instead of saying “to quickly run,” you could say “to run quickly.”
Use a different adverb. Instead of using an adverb that splits the infinitive, you could use a different adverb that does not. For example, instead of saying “to easily understand,” you could say “to understand easily.”
Rewrite the sentence. If neither of the above options work, you may need to rewrite the sentence entirely to avoid the split infinitive. For example, instead of saying “to really improve,” you could say “to improve greatly.”
In general, it is not always necessary to correct split infinitives, as they are widely used and accepted in modern English. However, if you are writing in a formal or academic context and want to avoid split infinitives, these strategies can help you do so while still expressing your intended meaning.