Afford Doing vs. Afford To Do
When “afford” is followed directly by another verb, standard learner references use a to-infinitive: “afford to do.” An -ing form can appear elsewhere in a sentence, but it is not a like-for-like direct complement after “afford.”
For the ordinary verb-complement pattern, use “afford to do,” not direct “afford doing.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning | Direct complement | Reader cue |
|---|---|---|
| have enough money/time/resources for an action | afford + to-infinitive | Can the subject spare the required resource? |
| -ing form in another surrounding construction | context-dependent | Do not treat it as direct “afford + -ing.” |
Quick tests
Direct-complement test
Does “afford” directly control the following action?
If yes: Use “afford + to-infinitive.”
If no: If an -ing form appears, identify what other word or construction licenses it.
Caveat: The comparison is about the direct complement after “afford,” not a ban on every -ing form that might occur later in a sentence.
Examples
We cannot afford to delay the launch.
The action is the direct complement of “afford.”
She can afford to replace the monitor.
The to-infinitive expresses the action made possible by available resources.
We cannot afford delaying the launch.
Better: We cannot afford to delay the launch.
Direct “afford + -ing” is not the ordinary reviewed complement.
Further guidance
Decision
If “afford” directly controls the following action verb, choose the to-infinitive.
Ing Boundary
Do not present direct afford + -ing as an interchangeable alternative to afford + to-infinitive; distinguish any -ing form that belongs to a different surrounding construction.
Standard Pattern
Use afford + to-infinitive when the meaning is having enough money, time or other resources to do an action.
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.
- afford — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Afford with to-infinitive and object patterns
- Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -ing? (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Verb-complement patterns, including verbs taking -ing, to-infinitive, or both with meaning differences