Get Someone To Do vs. Get Someone Doing
Get + object + to-infinitive can mean persuade or cause an action, while get + object + -ing can present causing an activity or state to begin or continue. The two patterns can overlap in broad causative meaning but do not package the event the same way.
Use “get someone to do” when the focus is persuading/causing the person to perform an action; “get someone doing” can emphasize getting an activity underway or into progress.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| cause or persuade a person to perform a task/action | get someone to + infinitive | Use the to-infinitive when the person’s action is framed as the task or result. |
| cause an activity to start or continue | get someone + -ing | Use -ing when the focus is getting an ongoing activity underway. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Is the emphasis on the person performing a particular task/result rather than entering an ongoing activity?
If yes: Use “get someone to” plus the infinitive.
If no: Use “get someone” plus -ing when the intended sense is initiating or sustaining an activity.
Caveat: Cambridge documents both causative patterns; they are not freely interchangeable in every sentence because the event framing can differ.
Examples
We got the technician to check the connection.
The to-infinitive presents the requested task/result.
The coach got the team running before sunrise.
The -ing form presents an activity underway.
Can you get Maya to call me this afternoon?
The requested action is framed as a specific task.
Further guidance
Boundary
Do not assume the two forms are freely interchangeable in every sentence; lexical meaning and the intended event view still matter.
Construction
Cambridge documents get + object + to-infinitive and also causative get + object + -ing patterns.
Decision
Choose the to-infinitive for the person’s action as a task/result; choose -ing when the intended sense is initiating or sustaining an ongoing activity.
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.
- Get — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Cambridge lists got as the past tense; the past participle is got, with gotten usual in many US uses.