English UsageComparison guide

Exhort Someone To Do vs. Exhort Doing

Cambridge explicitly documents exhort + object + to-infinitive for strongly encouraging or trying to persuade someone to act. A following -ing form may occur elsewhere in a sentence, but the cited person-plus-action construction is object + to-infinitive.

Reviewed2026-09-27Evidence1 sourceSectionEnglish Usage

Quick answer

Use “exhort someone to do something” for this formal encouragement pattern; do not treat “exhort doing” as the interchangeable direct-complement form.

Key details

Confusion Familygrammar-and-usage distinction

Rule Familyverb-complement and object pattern

TermsExhort Someone To Do, Exhort Doing

Choose the right form

Decision table for Exhort Someone To Do vs. Exhort Doing
Meaning / situation	Form / construction	Decision
strongly encourage or urge a person to act	exhort + person + to + verb	Use the documented object + to-infinitive pattern.
trying to use a bare -ing complement for the same pattern	exhort + -ing	Do not treat it as an interchangeable direct complement.

Quick tests

Meaning / construction test

Are you naming the person being strongly urged and the action you want that person to take?

If yes: Use “exhort someone to do something.”

If no: Do not substitute a bare -ing complement for that person-plus-action construction.

Caveat: An -ing form can occur elsewhere in a sentence, but the cited person-plus-action construction is object + to-infinitive.

Examples

Example

The chair exhorted members to vote.

The object “members” is followed by the urged action in a to-infinitive.

Example

She exhorted the team to remain focused.

The documented object + to-infinitive pattern is complete.

Example

The speaker exhorted citizens to participate peacefully.

The person or group being urged is explicit.

Further guidance

Boundary

A following -ing form may occur elsewhere in a sentence, but the cited person-plus-action construction is object + to-infinitive.

Construction

Cambridge explicitly documents exhort + object + to-infinitive for strongly encouraging or trying to persuade someone to act.

Decision

Use “exhort someone to do something” for this formal encouragement pattern; do not treat “exhort doing” as the interchangeable direct-complement form.

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.

exhort someone to do something — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Exhort + object + to-infinitive for strong formal encouragement

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