Deny Doing vs. Deny To Do
Cambridge documents deny + -ing and deny + that-clause for saying an action or claim is not true. Other deny constructions can take objects (for example denying someone something); they do not create a parallel direct to-infinitive complement.
Use “deny doing” (or a that-clause) when denying responsibility for an action; do not substitute a direct “deny to do.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| a person rejects responsibility for an action | deny doing something | Use the -ing complement. |
| a person rejects a proposition | deny that + clause | Use a that-clause when the denied content is a full proposition. |
| a person is unwilling to perform an action | refuse to do, not deny to do | Use a verb of refusal when unwillingness is the intended meaning. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you rejecting the claim that the subject performed the action?
If yes: Use “deny doing …” or a suitable that-clause.
If no: If the meaning is unwillingness to perform an action, use a refusal construction rather than direct “deny to do.”
Caveat: “Deny” also has other object patterns, such as denying someone something. This guide concerns the direct action complement, not every use of the verb.
Examples
She denied changing the settings.
The -ing form names the action whose responsibility is denied.
They denied that the notice had been approved.
A that-clause states the proposition being denied.
He refused to sign the form.
Unwillingness to act is expressed with “refused to,” not “denied to.”
Further guidance
Boundary
Other deny constructions can take objects (for example denying someone something); they do not create a parallel direct to-infinitive complement.
Construction
Cambridge documents deny + -ing and deny + that-clause for saying an action or claim is not true.
Decision
Use “deny doing” (or a that-clause) when denying responsibility for an action; do not substitute a direct “deny to do.”
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.
- deny — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Deny + -ing and that-clause patterns; direct to-infinitive is not the documented complement for acknowledging/ rejecting a claim
- 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