Seek Doing vs. Seek To Do
Cambridge documents seek + to-infinitive for trying to act and seek + noun for searching for or attempting to obtain something. Bare “seek doing” is not the direct alternative to the documented to-infinitive construction.
Use “seek to do” in the formal sense “try or attempt to do.” Use seek + noun when looking for or trying to obtain a person, thing or result. Bare “seek doing” is not the direct alternative to the documented to-infinitive construction.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| try or attempt to perform an action | seek + to-infinitive | Use “seek to do” for the formal “try/attempt” sense. |
| look for or try to obtain a person, thing, result, or quality | seek + noun/pronoun | Use a noun complement rather than forcing an -ing complement. |
| treat bare “seek doing” as the direct alternative to “seek to do” | not the documented parallel pattern | Do not use bare “seek doing” as the ordinary action-complement alternative. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Do you mean “try or attempt to perform this action”?
If yes: Use “seek to” + base verb.
If no: If you mean look for or try to obtain something, use “seek” + noun/object instead.
Caveat: “Seek” is relatively formal; the choice here is a complement-pattern issue, not a claim that every use of seek must take an infinitive.
Examples
The committee seeks to reduce unnecessary delays.
“Seek to reduce” uses the documented formal try/attempt construction.
They are seeking a practical solution.
When the goal is a thing or result, “seek” can take a noun phrase directly.
She sought to clarify the final requirement.
The past form keeps the same “seek + to-infinitive” action pattern.
Further guidance
Boundary
Bare “seek doing” is not the direct alternative to the documented to-infinitive construction.
Construction
Cambridge documents seek + to-infinitive for trying to act and seek + noun for searching for or attempting to obtain something.
Decision
Use “seek to do” in the formal sense “try or attempt to do.” Use seek + noun when looking for or trying to obtain a person, thing or result.
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.
- seek — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Seek + to-infinitive for trying and seek + noun for looking for or trying to obtain
- 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