Prohibit Someone From Doing vs. Prohibit Someone To Do
Cambridge records prohibit + person + from + -ing for preventing an action and also allows prohibit + noun/-ing when the prohibited activity itself is the object. The to-infinitive is not the parallel complement for this sense.
Use “prohibit someone from doing something” when a rule or authority prevents that person from taking the action. Do not treat “prohibit someone to do” as the parallel modern complement.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| a rule or authority prevents a person from an action | prohibit + person + from + -ing | Use the ordinary documented person-plus-action construction. |
| the prohibited activity itself is the object | prohibit + noun / -ing | A direct activity object is also possible. |
| person + to-infinitive as the same forbid-action complement | not the ordinary parallel construction | Do not replace “from doing” with “to do” in this structure. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you naming a person and the action that person is forbidden from performing?
If yes: Use “prohibit someone from doing something.”
If no: If the activity itself is the object, a construction such as “prohibit smoking” can fit; otherwise diagnose the sentence structure before editing.
Caveat: A nearby to-infinitive may belong to some other part of a sentence; this diagnostic concerns the complement of “prohibit” when it means forbid an action.
Examples
The rules prohibit visitors from entering this area.
A person/group is followed by “from” plus -ing.
The policy prohibits smoking indoors.
The prohibited activity itself can be the direct object.
The order prohibited staff from sharing the file.
The ordinary person-plus-action pattern uses “from” + -ing.
Further guidance
Boundary
A nearby to-infinitive can belong to another part of the sentence, so diagnose the syntax before editing; the point is that prohibit does not use person + to-infinitive as the ordinary complement meaning forbid an action.
Construction
The person blocked from an action is expressed with prohibit + person + from + -ing; if the activity itself is the object, constructions such as “prohibit smoking” are also possible.
Decision
Use “prohibit someone from doing something” when a rule or authority prevents that person from taking the action. Do not treat “prohibit someone to do” as the parallel modern complement.
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.
- prohibit — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Prohibit + person + from + -ing pattern and direct-object prohibition uses