Dream Of Doing vs. Dream To Do
Cambridge explicitly contrasts “dream of doing” with the nonstandard “dream to do” for desired future actions. For dreams during sleep, Cambridge also documents “dream about” + noun or -ing; that is a different sense from aspiring to do something.
Use “dream of doing” when dream means imagine or strongly hope for a desired future action; do not use “dream to do” for that meaning.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| dream means strongly hope or imagine a desired future action | dream of doing something | Use “of” + -ing for the documented aspiration pattern. |
| dream refers to sleep imagery | dream about + noun / -ing is also documented | Keep the sleep-dream sense separate from the aspiration construction. |
| dream to do is proposed for the aspiration meaning | avoid dream to do for this documented use | The reviewed grammar contrasts it with “dream of doing.” |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does “dream” mean hope for or imagine doing a future action?
If yes: Use “dream of doing …”.
If no: If you mean a dream during sleep, use the construction that fits that sense, such as “dream about …”; do not merge the two patterns.
Caveat: The construction depends on the sense of “dream.” Sleep dreams and aspirations should not be treated as one interchangeable pattern.
Examples
She dreams of opening a small studio.
The sentence expresses an aspiration and uses “of” + -ing.
They dreamed of travelling across the country.
The desired future activity follows the documented pattern.
He dreamed about missing the train.
This is a sleep-dream sense, which the reviewed grammar treats separately.
Further guidance
Boundary
For dreams during sleep, Cambridge also documents “dream about” + noun or -ing; that is a different sense from aspiring to do something.
Construction
Cambridge explicitly contrasts “dream of doing” with the nonstandard “dream to do” for desired future actions.
Decision
Use “dream of doing” when dream means imagine or strongly hope for a desired future action; do not use “dream to do” for that meaning.
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.
- Word patterns: dream — Cambridge Grammar (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · For an imagined desired future action, Cambridge gives dream of + -ing and rejects dream to do in that meaning.