English UsageComparison guide

Remind Someone To Do vs. Remind Doing

For prompting a person not to forget an action, standard English uses remind + person + to-infinitive. Bare “remind doing” is not the corresponding construction.

Reviewed2026-09-28Evidence1 sourceSectionEnglish Usage

Quick answer

Use “remind someone to do something.” Do not normally write “remind doing something” when you mean cause someone to remember an action they need to perform.

Key details

Confusion Familygrammar-and-usage distinction

Rule Familyverb-complement and object pattern

TermsRemind Someone To Do, Remind Doing

Choose the right form

Decision table for Remind Someone To Do vs. Remind Doing
Meaning / situation	Form / construction	Decision
prompt a person not to forget an action	remind + person + to-infinitive	Name the person before the action.
cause a memory or association	remind + person + of/about + noun	Use the relevant prepositional construction for the memory/topic.
use bare “remind doing” for a required action	not the ordinary pattern	Do not omit the person and substitute a bare -ing complement.

Quick tests

Meaning / construction test

Are you prompting a particular person to perform an action?

If yes: Use “remind someone to do.”

If no: If you mean evoke a memory or mention a topic, use the appropriate remind + person + of/about construction; bare “remind doing” is not the parallel action pattern.

Examples

Example

Please remind me to send the invoice.

The object names the person being prompted, followed by the task.

Example

This song reminds her of school.

“Of” introduces the memory or association.

Example

Remind them to bring identification.

The infinitive names the action they should not forget.

Further guidance

Boundary

Do not confuse remind with remember: the person who remembers can “remember doing” or “remember to do,” while remind is causative and normally identifies the person being prompted.

Construction

Cambridge documents remind + person + to-infinitive for making someone remember to perform an action.

Decision

Use the person object plus to-infinitive for a future or required action; use remind someone of/about + noun or clause for other reminder meanings.

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.

Remember or remind? — English Grammar Today (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Remember for retaining/recalling and remind for causing someone to remember

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