Recommend Doing vs. Recommend To Do
“Recommend + -ing” is a standard way to advise an action, and a that-clause is another. A bare direct “recommend to do” is not the same pattern, although Oxford also documents “recommend + object + to-infinitive,” so the distinction needs an object-pattern caveat.
For a general action, use “recommend doing” or a that-clause. Do not use bare direct “recommend to do” as the equivalent, but note that Oxford documents “recommend + object + to-infinitive.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| recommend an action generally | recommend + -ing | Use the gerund when no person is inserted as the performer. |
| recommend a proposition or course of action | recommend + that-clause | A that-clause is another standard way to state the recommendation. |
| name a person and recommend that person perform an action | recommend + object + to-infinitive | Oxford documents this object + infinitive pattern; it is not bare “recommend to do.” |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you recommending an action generally without naming a person as object?
If yes: Use “recommend doing” or a that-clause.
If no: If a person is the object, “recommend + object + to-infinitive” is documented; do not treat bare “recommend to do” as the equivalent general-action pattern.
Caveat: Bare “recommend to do” and “recommend + object + to-infinitive” are not the same construction; keep that distinction explicit.
Examples
I recommend checking the figures again.
The -ing form states the recommended action generally.
I recommend that we check the figures again.
A that-clause states the recommendation directly.
The adviser recommended us to review the terms carefully.
The reviewed Oxford evidence documents object + to-infinitive.
Further guidance
Clause Pattern
A that-clause is also standard, such as “recommend that you check.”
Direct Boundary
Bare direct “recommend to do” without an object is not the ordinary action-complement pattern documented by these references; use “recommend doing” or a clause for that job.
Ing Pattern
Use recommend + -ing for recommending an action generally, as in “recommend checking.”
Object Infinitive Boundary
Do not turn the rule into a blanket ban on every “recommend … to do” sequence: Oxford documents recommend + object + to-infinitive, such as “recommend you to book.” The object is part of that 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.
- Recommend — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Recommend + -ing and recommend + that-clause patterns for advising an action
- Recommend — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Documents recommend doing, recommend that, and the recommend + object + to-infinitive pattern, preventing an overbroad ban on all recommend ... to do constructions