Refuse Doing vs. Refuse To Do
When “refuse” means that someone will not perform an action, learner references use a to-infinitive. “Refuse” can also take noun objects in other uses, but that does not make a following gerund interchangeable with the infinitive pattern.
Use “refuse to do” when someone will not perform an action; direct “refuse doing” is not the standard equivalent complement.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| say or decide that you will not perform an action | refuse + to-infinitive | Use “refuse to do” for the action declined. |
| decline a noun/thing | refuse + noun | A direct noun object can be used in the relevant sense. |
| use direct “refuse doing” as the equivalent action complement | not the standard equivalent | Do not replace the to-infinitive with a bare -ing complement for this meaning. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Is a person declining to perform the following action?
If yes: Use “refuse to do.”
If no: If a noun names the thing declined, use the noun-object pattern; direct “refuse doing” is not the standard equivalent action complement.
Examples
He refused to sign the form.
The to-infinitive names the action he would not perform.
She refused the offer.
A noun can be the direct object in the relevant sense.
They refused to discuss the matter further.
The declined action follows “refuse” as a to-infinitive.
Further guidance
Decision
For a following action controlled directly by “refuse,” choose the to-infinitive.
Ing Boundary
Do not teach direct refuse + -ing as a standard alternative to refuse + to-infinitive in the action-complement pattern.
Standard Pattern
Use refuse + to-infinitive for declining or being unwilling to perform an 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.
- refuse — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Refuse with to-infinitive and object 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