Require Doing vs. Require To Do
Oxford documents require + -ing, require + object + to-infinitive, and passive be required + to-infinitive. The grammar changes with who or what is being required, so a bare require-to-do contrast is misleading.
Use “require doing” when the subject is the thing that needs an action, but use “require someone to do” or passive “be required to do” for an obligation on a person. Bare “require to do” is not the ordinary direct pattern.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| a thing needs an action performed on it | require + -ing | The subject is the thing needing the action. |
| oblige a person to perform an action | require + person + to-infinitive | Name the person who is under the obligation. |
| state an obligation in passive form | be required + to-infinitive | The person or thing subject to the requirement can be the grammatical subject. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Is the grammatical subject the thing that needs an action performed on it?
If yes: Use “require doing” where that pattern is natural.
If no: If a person is obliged to act, use “require someone to do” or passive “be required to do”; bare direct “require to do” is not the ordinary parallel pattern.
Caveat: Keep “require doing,” “require someone to do,” and “be required to do” separate; they assign different grammatical roles.
Examples
The old wiring requires replacing.
The wiring is the thing that needs the action.
The policy requires applicants to provide identification.
The object names the people obliged to act.
Applicants are required to provide identification.
The passive construction states the obligation directly.
Further guidance
Boundary
Do not omit the required object/passive structure and assume “require to do” behaves like an ordinary direct infinitive complement.
Construction
Oxford lists “require doing something,” “require somebody/something to do something,” and “be required to do something.”
Decision
Use the -ing pattern for a thing that needs an action; use an object + to-infinitive or passive be required + to-infinitive when stating who must act.
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.
- require — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Require + -ing, require + object + to-infinitive, and passive be required to do 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