Aim Doing vs. Aim To Do
Cambridge documents aim + to-infinitive for intention and aim at for directing effort toward an objective. Do not omit the preposition and present bare “aim doing” as equivalent to “aim to do.”
Use “aim to do” to state an intention. When an -ing form follows, the usual construction is “aim at doing,” where at is a preposition. Do not omit the preposition and present bare “aim doing” as equivalent to “aim to do.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning | Construction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| state an intention | aim + to-infinitive | aim to reduce errors |
| direct effort toward an activity/goal | aim at + noun/-ing | aim at reducing errors |
| bare aim + -ing | not the reviewed equivalent | preposition is missing |
Quick tests
Intention test
Are you directly stating what someone intends to do?
If yes: Use “aim + to-infinitive.”
If no: If you use an -ing form, the documented pattern is normally “aim at + -ing.”
Caveat: Do not collapse “aim to do” and “aim at doing”: both can be standard, but they are different constructions.
Examples
We aim to reduce processing time.
The to-infinitive states the intended action.
The redesign aims at reducing unnecessary steps.
The -ing form follows the preposition “at.”
We aim reducing processing time.
Better: We aim to reduce processing time.
Bare “aim + -ing” omits the preposition required by the reviewed -ing pattern.
Further guidance
Boundary
Do not omit the preposition and present bare “aim doing” as equivalent to “aim to do.”
Construction
Cambridge documents aim + to-infinitive for intention and aim at for directing effort toward an objective.
Decision
Use “aim to do” to state an intention. When an -ing form follows, the usual construction is “aim at doing,” where at is a preposition.
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.
- aim — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Aim + to-infinitive for intention; aim at construction boundary
- 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