Seem Doing vs. Seem To Do
Cambridge treats seem as a linking verb and as a verb followed by a to-infinitive; the progressive can occur within “to be doing.” Do not mistake the -ing form inside “seem to be doing” for a direct gerund complement after seem.
Use “seem to do” or “seem to be doing” for the ordinary seeming construction; bare “seem doing” is not the parallel standard pattern. Do not mistake the -ing form inside “seem to be doing” for a direct gerund complement after seem.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| ordinary seeming with an action or state | seem + to-infinitive | Use “seem to do/be” as the standard infinitive construction. |
| ongoing activity is part of what appears to be happening | seem + to be + -ing | Keep the -ing form after “to be”; it is not a direct gerund complement of “seem.” |
| bare “seem doing” as a parallel complement | not the standard parallel pattern | Do not drop “to be” merely because the following verb is in -ing form. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you expressing that someone or something appears to perform an action or be in a state?
If yes: Use “seem to” + verb; for an activity in progress, use “seem to be” + -ing.
If no: If “seem” links directly to an adjective or noun phrase, use that separate linking-verb pattern rather than inventing bare “seem doing.”
Caveat: The -ing in “seem to be doing” belongs to the progressive phrase after “be,” not directly after “seem.”
Examples
He seems to understand the instructions.
The ordinary seeming construction takes a to-infinitive.
She seems to be working from home today.
The ongoing activity uses “seem to be” before the -ing form.
The plan seems to be getting more expensive.
“Getting” is part of “to be getting,” not a bare gerund complement after “seem.”
Further guidance
Boundary
Do not mistake the -ing form inside “seem to be doing” for a direct gerund complement after seem.
Construction
Cambridge treats seem as a linking verb and as a verb followed by a to-infinitive; the progressive can occur within “to be doing.”
Decision
Use “seem to do” or “seem to be doing” for the ordinary seeming construction; bare “seem doing” is not the parallel standard pattern.
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.
- Seem — Cambridge Grammar (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Seem as linking verb and seem + to-infinitive; continuous-form boundary
- 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