Forbid Someone From Doing vs. Forbid Someone To Do
Cambridge documents active forbid + person + to-infinitive and passive be forbidden from + -ing, while its thesaurus also recognizes forbid someone from doing. Both constructions can express prohibition, but their syntactic framing differs.
Both constructions can express prohibition. “Forbid someone to do something” is a standard active pattern; “forbid someone from doing something” is also used, with from + -ing especially transparent in passive forms such as “be forbidden from doing.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| active prohibition with infinitive | forbid + person + to-infinitive | This is a standard active construction. |
| prohibition with from + -ing | forbid + person + from + -ing | This construction is also used. |
| passive prohibition | be forbidden from + -ing | The from + -ing form is especially transparent in passive wording. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you writing an active or passive prohibition?
If yes: Use either documented active pattern as appropriate; in passive wording, “be forbidden from doing” is straightforward.
If no: Choose the construction that matches the sentence rather than treating one documented form as universally wrong.
Caveat: Both active constructions are documented; this guide does not invent a universal preference where the evidence supports both.
Examples
The rules forbid visitors to enter after closing.
This is the standard active infinitive construction.
The rules forbid visitors from entering after closing.
The from + -ing construction also expresses prohibition.
Visitors are forbidden from entering after closing.
The passive construction naturally uses “from” plus -ing.
Further guidance
Boundary
Do not force one pattern into the other merely because prohibit normally selects from + -ing. Forbid has its own documented complement options.
Construction
Forbid can take a person plus to-infinitive, and it can also occur with from + -ing. The passive pattern “be forbidden from doing” is directly documented by Cambridge.
Decision
Both constructions can express prohibition. “Forbid someone to do something” is a standard active pattern; “forbid someone from doing something” is also used, with from + -ing especially transparent in passive forms such as “be forbidden from doing.”
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.
- forbid — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Forbid + person + to-infinitive and be forbidden from + -ing patterns
- forbid — Cambridge Thesaurus (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge usage note recognizing forbid someone from doing something