Be Ready To Do vs. Ready For Something
Oxford directly records ready + to-infinitive and ready for + noun, supporting a narrow comparison of the two standard patterns.
Use “ready to do something” when readiness is followed by an action. Use “ready for something” when the complement names the event, situation, or thing being prepared for.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| readiness followed by an action | ready + to-infinitive | use the infinitive before the action |
| readiness for an event, situation, object, or demand | ready for + noun phrase | use “for” before the anticipated thing or situation |
Quick tests
Action-or-event test
Is readiness about taking an action, or facing/receiving a named event or thing?
If yes: Use “ready to + verb” for the action.
If no: Use “ready for + noun phrase” for the event or thing.
Caveat: Some contexts permit both with a change in complement shape; choose by grammar and intended focus.
Examples
The report is ready to publish after final approval.
The infinitive presents the next action.
The team is ready for the launch.
“For” names the anticipated event.
We are ready to begin and ready for the questions that follow.
The sentence shows action and event complements together.
Further guidance
Core difference
Oxford documents ready + to-infinitive and ready for + noun as standard complement patterns.
Style Boundary
Keep for before noun/event complements; use to + base verb for the infinitive action pattern.
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.
- Ready (opens in a new tab)Oxford University Press · Direct learner-dictionary evidence for ready for + noun and ready + to-infinitive.