Be Inclined To Do vs. Inclined To Something
Cambridge directly documents inclined to do and a literary inclined to something pattern. The guide uses those attested constructions instead of the preliminary, insufficiently supported toward-doing wording.
“Be inclined to do something” is a documented infinitive pattern. Cambridge also records a literary “inclined to something” construction; the two should be described as attested structures, not forced into a gerund/infinitive symmetry.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| tendency, preference, or disposition toward an action | inclined to + verb | use the infinitive construction |
| literary orientation or disposition toward a noun | inclined to + noun phrase | treat as a separate, marked construction rather than forcing a gerund symmetry |
Quick tests
Infinitive-or-noun test
Is “inclined” followed by an action you tend or prefer to take, or by the separately documented literary noun construction?
If yes: Use “inclined to + verb” for the ordinary tendency/preference construction.
If no: Use the noun construction only where that literary pattern is actually intended.
Caveat: Do not recast the noun pattern as an unsupported general “inclined toward doing” rule.
Examples
I am inclined to agree with the shorter version.
The infinitive expresses a tendency or preference.
His temperament was inclined to caution.
The noun after “to” illustrates the separately documented literary pattern.
For ordinary action choices, “inclined to + verb” is the safer direct construction.
This keeps the common infinitive pattern distinct from the marked noun use.
Further guidance
Core difference
Cambridge documents inclined to + infinitive for a tendency or preference and also a literary inclined to + noun pattern.
Style Boundary
Do not recast the noun-complement pattern as an unsupported “inclined toward doing” rule without direct evidence for that proposed contrast.
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.
- Inclined to (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct dictionary evidence for inclined to + infinitive and literary inclined to + noun.