TOEIC Decision Point

TOEIC Trap: Doing vs To Do

Part 5 can test whether a verb should appear in an -ing form or a to-infinitive. The word or phrase before the blank is often the main clue, but the full verb pattern and sentence context still matter.

Look at these examples:

The manager agreed to review the proposal.

The manager suggested reviewing the proposal.

The team is responsible for reviewing the proposal.

The meanings are related, but the English verb-complement patterns are different. Check the signal before the blank before choosing the form.

MTC coaching rule: Do not choose by meaning alone. Check the verb or phrase before the blank: some English patterns take a to-infinitive, while others take an -ing form.

The MTC 7-second choice

First, find the signal before the blank. Then choose the form that fits that English pattern. The 7-second label is an MTC coaching heuristic, not an official TOEIC timing rule.

Plan / decide / agree / expect

The company plans ___ a new branch.

Answer: to open

Avoid / consider / finish / suggest

The team suggested ___ the schedule.

Answer: revising

Preposition signal

The team is responsible for ___ the report.

Answer: preparing

Purpose signal

The technician came ___ the equipment.

Answer: to inspect

Verb patterns that take to + infinitive

In the patterns below, verbs such as plan, decide, agree, and expect take a to-infinitive. A to-infinitive can also express purpose.

plan to: The company plans to expand its services next year.

decide to: The committee decided to postpone the event.

agree to: The supplier agreed to replace the damaged parts.

expect to: The team expects to finish the project by Friday.

purpose: The technician visited the site to inspect the equipment.

Verb patterns that take -ing

Verbs such as avoid, consider, finish, suggest, and recommend can take an -ing form when followed directly by another verb.

avoid: Employees should avoid storing personal files on office computers.

consider: The company is considering opening a new branch.

finish: The technician finished installing the software.

suggest: The consultant suggested revising the schedule.

recommend: The manager recommended updating the manual.

If a verb follows a preposition, use -ing

When a preposition is followed by a verb, standard English uses the -ing form. This includes to when to is a preposition inside a fixed phrase such as look forward to; it does not apply when to is the infinitive marker.

The assistant is responsible for arranging the meeting room.

For points to arranging.

The team is interested in testing the new system.

In points to testing.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference.

In look forward to, the word to is a preposition, so a following verb takes the -ing form.

MTC warning: Not every to is an infinitive marker. In look forward to, to is a preposition, so the pattern is look forward to doing.

Purpose uses to do

A to-infinitive can express purpose by explaining why someone did something.

The technician visited the office to repair the printer.

Why did the technician visit? To repair the printer.

The manager called the supplier to confirm the delivery date.

Why did the manager call? To confirm the date.

Small meaning changes: stop doing vs stop to do

The complement can also change meaning. One useful pair is stop doing and stop to do.

The workers stopped using the old equipment.

They no longer used the old equipment.

The workers stopped to check the equipment.

They paused another action in order to check the equipment.

Watch the pattern in business sentences

The company decided to introduce a new online ordering system.

Decided points to to introduce.

The manager avoided discussing confidential information in the meeting.

Avoided points to discussing.

The staff members are responsible for checking the inventory each morning.

For points to checking.

The consultant came to evaluate the training program.

To evaluate explains the purpose of coming.

Quick MTC check

Choose the best answer. Look at the signal before the blank first.

1. The manager agreed ___ the proposal by Friday.

to review reviewing review

Correct. The standard pattern here is agree + to-infinitive: “agreed to review.”

Not correct here. Standard English uses agree + to-infinitive in this meaning.

Not correct. After “agreed,” use “to review.”

2. Employees should avoid ___ personal files on office computers.

storing to store store

Correct. When avoid is followed directly by another verb, that verb takes the -ing form.

Not correct. Standard English uses avoid + -ing, not avoid + to-infinitive, in this structure.

Not correct. After “avoid,” use “storing.”

3. We look forward to ___ you at the conference.

seeing to see see

Correct. “Look forward to” is followed by “seeing.”

Not correct. The “to” is already part of “look forward to.”

Not correct. Use “look forward to seeing.”

4. The maintenance team is responsible for ___ the equipment.

inspecting to inspect inspect

Correct. For is a preposition here, so a following verb takes the -ing form.

Not correct here. Because for is a preposition, a following verb takes the -ing form: “responsible for inspecting.”

Not correct. “Responsible for inspect” is not natural.

5. The company plans ___ a new branch next year.

to open opening open

Correct. The standard verb pattern here is plan + to-infinitive: “plans to open.”

Not correct here. With plan used as the verb in this sentence, the standard complement is to open.

Not correct. Use “plans to open.”

6. The consultant suggested ___ the schedule.

revising to revise revise

Correct. With no following object in this pattern, suggest can take an -ing complement: “suggested revising.”

Not correct here. Standard alternatives include suggest + -ing or suggest that + clause; this sentence requires “suggested revising.”

Not correct. After “suggested,” use “revising” in this pattern.

Fast-reader mistake

Under time pressure, choosing by meaning alone can be risky because both reviewing and to review may fit the topic. The verb-complement pattern before the blank provides the stronger clue.

Do not ask only: Does the meaning make sense?

Ask instead: What word or phrase comes before the blank?

Why this mistake returns under pressure

If this error repeats under time pressure, instinctive form selection may be one factor to investigate.

An MTC coaching move is to learn high-value verb-complement patterns as short chunks with examples. After avoid, consider, finish, and suggest, check for an -ing complement. After plan, decide, agree, and expect, check for a to-infinitive.

MTC quick-decision tool: Plan / decide / agree / expect → check to + verb. Avoid / consider / finish / suggest → check -ing. If a verb follows a preposition such as for, in, or about, use -ing. In look forward to, to is a preposition. Purpose can use to + verb. Confirm the whole sentence.

Final takeaway

Doing vs to do choices often follow established English verb-complement patterns. Nearby words can help you identify which pattern the sentence requires.

Check before the blank

The word or phrase before the blank often provides the key complement signal; confirm it against the full sentence.

Watch prepositions

If a verb follows for, in, or about, use -ing. Look forward to also takes -ing because to is a preposition there.

Watch purpose

A to-infinitive can express the purpose of an earlier action.

Do not translate first

The Japanese meaning may be similar, but the English verb-complement pattern often determines which form fits.

Find the signal, match the English pattern, confirm the sentence, and move on.

Use repeated Part 5 errors as diagnostic evidence

If the same doing-vs-to-do error repeats across several questions or practice sets even when the meaning is clear, sentence-pattern recognition under time pressure may be one factor to investigate.

The TOEIC Learning Block Diagnostic can help you review wider repeated patterns such as speed, overthinking, translation, passive listening, memorisation, or burnout. One missed verb-pattern item is not enough to identify a Learning Block; use repeated evidence across questions, practice sets, or sessions.

Take the TOEIC Learning Block Diagnostic Find a TOEIC study plan

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For more TOEIC Part 5 nearby-signal traps, continue with these related decision pages.

Part 5 Phrasal Verbs: use the business action signal Verb Tense and Aspect: match the verb to the timeline Back to top TOEIC Part 5 Grammar Drills TOEIC Part 5 Guide TOEIC Plan Finder

 🔍 EN FAQ: Doing vs To Do

    What’s the difference between “doing” and “to do”?
    “Doing” is usually a gerund (-ing noun), “to do” is an infinitive. The verb before determines which one is correct.

    Should I say “I enjoy working” or “I enjoy to work”?
    Say “I enjoy working.” “Enjoy” is always followed by the -ing form.

    Is it correct to say “I decided doing it”?
    No. Use “I decided to do it.” “Decide” is always followed by “to + verb.”

    Which is correct: “They suggested meeting” or “They suggested to meet”?
    “Suggested meeting” is correct. “Suggest” takes the -ing form, not “to do.”

    Why is “want doing” incorrect?
    “Want” is always followed by “to + verb.” The correct form is “want to do.”

    What comes after “plan” — to do or doing?
    Use “to do.” Example: “They plan to launch the service.”

    Can I say “He stopped to smoke” and “He stopped smoking”?
    Yes, both are correct but have different meanings. One means to pause, the other means to quit.

    What does “remember doing” mean?
    It means you have a memory of the past action. Example: “I remember meeting her.”

    When do I use “remember to do” instead?
    Use “remember to do” when you need to remind yourself to do something. Example: “Remember to call him.”

    Does “try doing” mean the same as “try to do”?
    No. “Try doing” means experiment with something. “Try to do” means make an effort.

    What follows a preposition — doing or to do?
    Always use the -ing form after a preposition. Example: “She’s interested in working here.”

    Is “She’s good at to speak English” correct?
    No. It should be “She’s good at speaking English.”

    Can both “to do” and “doing” be correct after a verb?
    Yes, but it depends on the verb. Example: “start doing” and “start to do” are often both OK.

    What’s the pattern after “ask”?
    Use “ask + person + to do.” Example: “They asked me to help.”

    What’s wrong with “They asked to help”?
    It’s missing the object. Correct version: “They asked me to help.”

    What does “stop doing” mean?
    It means to quit a habit or activity. Example: “He stopped drinking coffee.”

    How can I tell which verbs take “doing”?
    Some verbs just always take -ing: enjoy, avoid, consider, finish, suggest.

    How can I tell which verbs take “to do”?
    Memorize common ones: want, hope, plan, offer, expect, decide.

    What’s the structure for “encourage”?
    Use “encourage + person + to do.” Example: “She encouraged me to try again.”

    How can I learn which pattern to use in TOEIC?
    Focus on high-frequency verb patterns. Learn which verbs take doing, which take to do, and which need an object.