Fine Someone For Doing vs. Fine Someone To Do
Cambridge gives fine + person + amount + for and passive “be fined for” when the following act is the offence that caused the monetary penalty.
Use “fine someone for doing something” when naming the offence. “Fine someone to do” is not the parallel penalty-reason construction.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| name the offence that caused a monetary penalty | fine + person + for + noun/-ing | Use “for” to introduce the reason for the fine. |
| state the amount | fine + person + amount | Place the amount with the verb and add “for” if the offence also needs to be named. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you naming the act or offence that caused the monetary penalty?
If yes: Use “fine someone for doing something” or the passive “be fined for doing something.”
If no: If you are naming the amount instead, use the documented amount pattern; do not use “fine someone to do” as the penalty-reason construction.
Caveat: This guide covers the monetary-penalty verb “fine,” not unrelated adjective or adverb senses of “fine.”
Examples
The driver was fined for parking in the restricted area.
“For” introduces the act that caused the fine.
The company was fined for submitting the form late.
The passive pattern also uses “for” for the offence.
The court fined the contractor $500 for the violation.
The amount and the reason can both appear in the same construction.
Further guidance
Boundary
Keep the verb fine distinct from unrelated adjective/adverb senses of fine and from infinitives elsewhere in the sentence.
Construction
The offence or reason for the monetary penalty is introduced with for + noun/-ing.
Decision
Use “fine someone for doing something” when naming the offence. “Fine someone to do” is not the parallel penalty-reason 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.
- Fine — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Current dictionary construction showing fine someone for an offence or action.