Imagine Doing vs. Imagine To Do
Cambridge documents imagine + -ing and imagine + clauses when forming a mental picture or considering a situation. Passive constructions such as “is imagined to be” are structurally different and do not make active “imagine to do” an interchangeable complement.
Use “imagine doing” or a clause such as “imagine that …” for the ordinary active construction; do not treat direct “imagine to do” as the equivalent pattern.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| picture or consider oneself performing an action | imagine + -ing | Use “imagine doing.” |
| picture or consider a proposition | imagine + clause | A clause such as “imagine that …” is also standard. |
| direct active complement proposed as equivalent | imagine + to-infinitive | Do not treat direct “imagine to do” as the ordinary equivalent. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you actively picturing or considering an action after “imagine”?
If yes: Use an -ing form, or use a clause if that better fits the meaning.
If no: Do not infer that direct active “imagine to do” is interchangeable merely because passive “is imagined to be” exists.
Caveat: Passive patterns such as “is imagined to be” are structurally different from active “imagine + to-infinitive.”
Examples
Can you imagine living there year-round?
The ordinary active construction uses “imagine + -ing.”
Imagine that the deadline moves forward a week.
A finite clause is another standard complement.
I cannot imagine working without that tool.
The -ing form names the imagined activity.
Further guidance
Boundary
Passive constructions such as “is imagined to be” are structurally different and do not make active “imagine to do” an interchangeable complement.
Construction
Cambridge documents imagine + -ing and imagine + clauses when forming a mental picture or considering a situation.
Decision
Use “imagine doing” or a clause such as “imagine that …” for the ordinary active construction; do not treat direct “imagine to do” as the equivalent pattern.
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.
- imagine — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Imagine + -ing and that-clause patterns for forming a mental picture or considering a situation
- Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -ing? (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Verb-complement patterns, including verbs taking -ing, to-infinitive, or both with meaning differences