English UsageComparison guide

Instruct Someone To Do vs. Instruct Someone In Doing

Instruct + person + to-infinitive gives a formal direction or order. In the teaching sense, instruct can instead take in/on + a subject or activity; the prepositional phrase names what the person is trained in rather than functioning as the same command complement.

Reviewed2026-09-28Evidence1 sourceSectionEnglish Usage

Quick answer

Use “instruct someone to do something” for a formal direction. Use “instruct someone in/on …” for teaching a subject or activity; the two patterns express different relationships.

Key details

Confusion Familygrammar-and-usage distinction

Rule Familyverb-complement and object pattern

TermsInstruct Someone To Do, Instruct Someone In Doing

Choose the right form

Decision table for Instruct Someone To Do vs. Instruct Someone In Doing
Meaning / situation	Form / construction	Decision
formal direction for a person to perform an action	instruct + person + to-infinitive	Use “instruct someone to do something.”
teaching a subject, skill, or activity	instruct + person + in/on + subject/activity	Use “instruct someone in/on …” for teaching rather than treating it as the same complement.

Quick tests

Meaning / construction test

Are you directing a named person to perform a specific action?

If yes: Use “instruct + person + to-infinitive.”

If no: If the meaning is teaching or training, use “instruct + person + in/on” with the subject or activity.

Caveat: The two constructions express different relationships: direction versus instruction in a field or activity.

Examples

Example

The supervisor instructed the team to lock the cabinet after use.

The team receives a formal direction to perform an action.

Example

The course instructs new staff in emergency procedures.

“In” introduces the subject being taught.

Example

She was instructed to submit the form before noon.

The passive keeps the same to-infinitive direction pattern.

Further guidance

Boundary

An -ing form after “in” is inside a prepositional teaching phrase, not an alternative to-infinitive command complement.

Construction

Cambridge documents instruct + person + to-infinitive for formal orders and instruct someone in/on something for teaching.

Decision

Choose to + verb when directing an action; choose in/on + subject or activity when describing the field or skill being taught.

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.

instruct — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Instruct + person + to-infinitive for formal direction; instruct someone in/on a subject for teaching

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