Accustom Yourself To Doing vs. Accustom Yourself To Do
Cambridge directly gives accustom yourself to followed by an -ing form for becoming familiar with new conditions. The to belongs to the prepositional construction accustom yourself to something; do not infer an equivalent to-infinitive from the surface word to.
Use accustom yourself to + -ing for the documented activity complement.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning | Pattern | Example shape |
|---|---|---|
| become familiar with an activity | accustom yourself to + -ing | accustom yourself to waking early |
| become familiar with a thing/situation | accustom yourself to + noun | accustom yourself to the noise |
| purpose infinitive | different construction | not a substitute for the prepositional complement |
Quick tests
Preposition test
Does “to” introduce the activity or situation you are becoming used to?
If yes: Treat “to” as a preposition and use a noun or -ing form.
If no: If a to-infinitive has a different purpose in the sentence, keep it separate from the accustom-yourself complement.
Caveat: The visible word “to” does not automatically mark an infinitive; here it belongs to the prepositional pattern “accustom yourself to something.”
Examples
You will soon accustom yourself to working in the new schedule.
The activity follows prepositional “to.”
She accustomed herself to the quieter office.
A noun phrase can fill the same complement slot.
He accustomed himself to work at night.
Better: He accustomed himself to working at night.
For becoming familiar with the activity, the -ing form is the documented pattern.
Further guidance
Boundary
The to belongs to the prepositional construction accustom yourself to something; do not infer an equivalent to-infinitive from the surface word to.
Construction
Cambridge directly gives accustom yourself to followed by an -ing form for becoming familiar with new conditions.
Decision
Use accustom yourself to + -ing for the documented activity complement.
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.
- accustom — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Preferred lexical authority directly documenting accustom yourself to + -ing.