NRTC English: Using to and -ing verbs in some fixed expressions

In English, there are some fixed expressions that are followed by ‘to’ and verbs in their present participle (that is, verbs like going, reading, singing, cooking, helping, having, being, etc) instead of to-infinitive such as to go, to read, to sing, to cook, to help, to have, to be, etc.

Usually, ‘to’ is followed by these bare verbs, as in to go, to read, to sing etc. However, there are certain cases where ‘to’ is followed by present participles, like to reading, to singing, to going, to helping.

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Look at this first example:

1. I look forward to hearing from you. (usually found at the end of a formal letter).

The fixed expression is “look forward” followed by “to hearing” (‘hearing’ is a verb is its present participle).

Other examples like look forward have been enumerated below with specific instances.

2. commit to doing yoga/reading books/following a strict diet/exercising regularly

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3. with a view to seeing his girlfriend/creating his future/reading his lecture notes

4. am/is/are used to sleeping late/eating late/playing football

5. accustomed to having his word questioned/drawing cartoons/running errands/drinking beers

6. confess to killing the fowl/stealing the money/coming late to work

7. be opposed to paying taxes/working more hours/smoking cigarette

8. object to driving a car/smoking cigarettes/watching television

9. take to drinking alcohol/partying with girls/womanizing

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10. be devoted to fighting a cause/finishing strong/staying faithful

11. be addicted to gambling/eating chocolate

12. admit to lying/stealing/partying with girls/smoking cigarette

As daunting as these fixed expressions might seem, they are essential in writing intelligible and grammatically correct sentences in English.

There are very few of them, and the best way to learn them is to commit these grammatical constructions or fixed expression to memory.