Sweet-talk Someone Into Doing vs. Sweet-talk Someone To Do
Oxford directly documents “sweet-talk somebody into something/into doing something” for persuading through praise and pleasing talk. The cited entry directly supports into + -ing; it does not establish a matching “sweet-talk someone to do” complement.
Use “sweet-talk someone into doing” for the directly documented pattern; do not infer “sweet-talk someone to do.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning | Pattern | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| persuade someone by flattering or pleasing talk | sweet-talk + person + into + -ing | Use the directly documented construction. |
| name the persuaded action | into + -ing | Keep the action after the preposition “into.” |
| direct object followed by a to-infinitive | sweet-talk someone to do | Do not infer this as the matching complement from the reviewed evidence. |
Quick tests
Persuasion-pattern test
Do you mean persuade a person through flattering or pleasing talk to take an action?
If yes: Use “sweet-talk someone into + -ing.”
If no: Choose a different persuasion verb or structure for a different meaning.
Caveat: The reviewed dictionary entry directly supports “into + noun/-ing”; this page does not invent an object + to-infinitive alternative.
Examples
She sweet-talked him into changing the reservation.
The persuaded action follows “into” as an -ing form.
They sweet-talked the manager into extending the deadline.
The object is followed by the documented “into + -ing” complement.
I was sweet-talked into buying the larger package.
The passive form preserves the same complement pattern.
Further guidance
Boundary
The cited entry directly supports into + -ing; it does not establish a matching “sweet-talk someone to do” complement.
Construction
Oxford directly documents “sweet-talk somebody into something/into doing something” for persuading through praise and pleasing talk.
Decision
Use “sweet-talk someone into doing” for the directly documented pattern; do not infer “sweet-talk someone to do.”
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.
- sweet-talk verb — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Oxford learner-dictionary evidence directly documenting the sweet-talk someone into doing construction