Put Off Doing vs. Put Off To Do
Cambridge documents put off + -ing for delaying an event or activity and also uses -ing after put someone off in the discourage sense. Put off has several phrasal-verb senses, but the particle off does not license a direct to-infinitive alternative for the postpone meaning.
Use “put off doing” when you mean delay an activity; direct “put off to do” is not the equivalent construction.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| delay an activity | put off + -ing | Use an -ing form after “put off” for the delayed action. |
| delay a noun/event | put off + noun | A noun object can name what is postponed. |
| use a to-infinitive as an equivalent delayed-action complement | not the equivalent construction | Do not replace the -ing complement with direct “to do.” |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Is the following verb the activity being delayed?
If yes: Use “put off doing.”
If no: If a noun names the delayed thing, use that noun object; direct “put off to do” is not the equivalent action pattern.
Examples
We put off making the decision until Friday.
The delayed activity follows as an -ing form.
They put off the meeting until next week.
A noun can directly name the postponed event.
She kept putting off calling the supplier.
The action being delayed follows “put off” as -ing.
Further guidance
Boundary
Put off has several phrasal-verb senses, but the particle off does not license a direct to-infinitive alternative for the postpone meaning.
Construction
Cambridge documents put off + -ing for delaying an event or activity and also uses -ing after put someone off in the discourage sense.
Decision
Use “put off doing” when you mean delay an activity; direct “put off to do” is not the equivalent construction.
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.
- put something off — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Put off + -ing for delaying an activity and related discouragement constructions