Fancy Doing vs. Fancy To Do
Cambridge documents UK fancy + -ing for wanting to do something, while a separate prediction/preference sense can appear with an object followed by a to-infinitive, as in choosing who is expected to win. The to-infinitive pattern belongs to a different syntactic/meaning frame and is not a direct replacement for “fancy doing” in the want-to-do sense.
Use “fancy doing” when fancy means want or feel like doing an activity; do not treat every “fancy … to do” sequence as the same construction.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| UK: want or feel like doing an activity | fancy + -ing | Use the documented -ing complement. |
| a separate prediction/preference frame has an object before a to-infinitive | fancy + object + to + verb | Treat this as a different construction and meaning. |
| bare “fancy to do” proposed for want-to-do sense | not the parallel pattern | Do not substitute it for “fancy doing.” |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does “fancy” mean “want or feel like” doing the following activity?
If yes: Use “fancy doing.”
If no: If a to-infinitive appears, check whether it belongs to a different object-plus-infinitive frame and meaning.
Caveat: The want/feel-like use is especially associated with British English, and the object + to-infinitive frame is a separate construction rather than a direct alternative to “fancy doing.”
Examples
Do you fancy going for a walk?
In the want/feel-like sense, “fancy” takes an -ing complement.
I fancy trying the new café.
The activity desired follows as an -ing form.
Many fans fancied their team to win.
The object “their team” precedes the to-infinitive in a different prediction/preference frame.
Further guidance
Boundary
The to-infinitive pattern belongs to a different syntactic/meaning frame and is not a direct replacement for “fancy doing” in the want-to-do sense.
Construction
Cambridge documents UK fancy + -ing for wanting to do something, while a separate prediction/preference sense can appear with an object followed by a to-infinitive, as in choosing who is expected to win.
Decision
Use “fancy doing” when fancy means want or feel like doing an activity; do not treat every “fancy … to do” sequence as the same construction.
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.
- fancy — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Fancy + -ing for wanting to do an activity; separate fancy + object + to-infinitive use in prediction/preferences