Opposed To Doing vs. Opposed To Do
Cambridge defines be opposed to something and includes an -ing example in the disagreement sense. Do not treat “opposed to do” as the infinitive alternative to be opposed to doing; other uses of oppose have different syntax.
Use “opposed to doing” when describing disagreement with an action or proposal; “to” is prepositional in this adjective pattern.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| disagree with or resist an action | opposed to + -ing clause | Use the -ing form because “to” is a preposition here. |
| disagree with or resist a proposal/person/thing | opposed to + noun phrase | Use the same prepositional construction. |
| bare to-infinitive treated as the complement of adjective “opposed” | opposed to do … | Do not use this as the ordinary opposition pattern. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does “opposed” mean against or in disagreement with the action that follows?
If yes: Use “opposed to doing …”.
If no: If the complement is a noun, use “opposed to + noun”; a separate structure may be needed if “to do” belongs elsewhere in the sentence.
Caveat: Diagnose the grammatical construction, not the word “to” by itself: the opposition adjective uses prepositional “to,” whereas unrelated to-infinitives can occur elsewhere.
Examples
Several residents are opposed to widening the road.
“To” is prepositional, so the action appears in an -ing clause.
The committee was opposed to the proposal.
A noun phrase can follow the same preposition.
They remained opposed to changing the deadline.
The adjective keeps the “to + -ing” pattern before an action.
Further guidance
Boundary
Do not treat “opposed to do” as the infinitive alternative to be opposed to doing; other uses of oppose have different syntax.
Construction
Cambridge defines be opposed to something and includes an -ing example in the disagreement sense.
Decision
Use “opposed to doing” when describing disagreement with an action or proposal; “to” is prepositional in this adjective 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.
- opposed — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Be opposed to expresses disagreement and can take an -ing clause; Cambridge gives examples such as opposed to someone learning to drive