Tend Doing vs. Tend To Do
Cambridge marks tend + to-infinitive for things that usually happen or people who are likely to behave in a particular way. Keep the separate transitive sense of tend, meaning to care for or attend to something, distinct from the tendency construction.
Use “tend to do” for a usual tendency or likelihood; bare “tend doing” is not the equivalent complement in that sense. Keep the separate transitive sense of tend, meaning to care for or attend to something, distinct from the tendency construction.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning | Pattern | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| something usually happens or someone is likely/habitually inclined to act | tend to + base verb | Use the documented tendency construction. |
| care for, attend to, or look after something | tend + object | Treat this as a different transitive sense. |
| use bare -ing as the equivalent tendency complement | tend doing | Do not use this as the parallel construction for the reviewed sense. |
Quick tests
Likelihood-or-care test
Does “tend” mean “usually/typically be likely to” before another action?
If yes: Use “tend to + base verb.”
If no: If “tend” means care for or attend to something, use the object pattern required by that separate sense.
Caveat: The transitive care-for sense of “tend” is separate from the to-infinitive tendency construction.
Examples
Prices tend to rise when supply is limited.
“Tend to + base verb” expresses a usual tendency.
I tend to check the totals before sending the report.
The infinitive states a habitual or likely action.
She stayed behind to tend the garden.
Here “tend” means care for something and takes a direct object.
Further guidance
Boundary
Keep the separate transitive sense of tend, meaning to care for or attend to something, distinct from the tendency construction.
Construction
Cambridge marks tend + to-infinitive for things that usually happen or people who are likely to behave in a particular way.
Decision
Use “tend to do” for a usual tendency or likelihood; bare “tend doing” is not the equivalent complement in that sense.
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.
- tend — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Tend + to-infinitive for likely or habitual behavior
- 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