Incapable Of: Standard Pattern
Incapable Of: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than turning one attested complement into a universal prohibition.
Use “incapable of” before a noun phrase or an -ing form for something a person or thing cannot do.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| person or thing unable to perform an action | incapable of + -ing | Use “of” before the gerund. |
| person or thing unable to possess or show a quality/thing | incapable of + noun | Use “of” before the noun phrase. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does the complement name the action, quality, or thing that the subject cannot do or possess?
If yes: Use “incapable of” followed by a noun phrase or -ing form.
If no: Choose another construction if you need a finite clause or a different relationship.
Caveat: Do not convert this pattern mechanically to “incapable to do”; the documented complement is “of” plus a noun phrase or -ing form.
Examples
The device is incapable of storing that much data.
The -ing form names the action the device cannot perform.
He seemed incapable of deception.
A noun phrase follows “of.”
They were incapable of finishing on time.
“Of + -ing” expresses the unavailable ability.
Further guidance
Construction
Use “incapable of” before a noun phrase or an -ing form for something a person or thing cannot do.
Style Boundary
Cambridge directly documents “incapable of”; this page does not treat every alternative way of expressing inability as incorrect.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- incapable of — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct dictionary evidence for the construction “incapable of something/doing something”.