Prepare Doing vs. Prepare To Do
Oxford documents prepare + to-infinitive for getting ready to act and prepare for + noun for getting ready for an event or situation. An -ing activity can follow the preposition “for,” which is a different construction from bare prepare + -ing.
Use “prepare to do” when getting ready to perform the action. Use “prepare for” before a noun or activity when getting ready for an event or situation; bare “prepare doing” is not the equivalent complement.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| subject is getting ready to perform an action | prepare + to-infinitive | Use “prepare to do.” |
| subject is getting ready for an event/situation/activity | prepare for + noun / -ing activity | Use “for”; an -ing form here is the object of the preposition. |
| bare prepare + -ing as the equivalent complement | not the documented equivalent | Do not replace the to-infinitive with bare -ing. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Is the subject getting ready to perform the following action?
If yes: Use “prepare to do.”
If no: If the subject is getting ready for an event, situation, or activity, use “prepare for” plus a noun or -ing form.
Examples
We prepared to leave before sunrise.
The subject is getting ready to perform the action “leave.”
They prepared for travelling in colder weather.
The -ing form follows the preposition “for,” not bare “prepare.”
The team prepared for the inspection.
A noun phrase after “for” names the event being prepared for.
Further guidance
Decision
Use prepare to do for readiness to perform the action; use prepare for + noun/activity for readiness for an event or situation.
For Pattern
If an -ing activity follows “prepare for,” the gerund is the object of the preposition “for,” not a direct complement of “prepare.”
To Infinitive
Use prepare + to-infinitive when the subject is getting ready to perform the following action.
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.
- prepare — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Prepare to do and prepare for noun/activity patterns
- 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